The Daycare Diva's Instant Daycare Profits

The Importance of Goal Setting

2007-04-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone:

The only way of achieving anything in life is by setting goals. But a few years ago I learned that I really had no idea on how to set a goal. It’s not just about saying, I need to loose 20 pounds. We all have things that we want to do but some how we kick them to the curb after a few days or weeks.

So what makes the difference between people who say they want to do something, and those who really achieve their dreams? Let’s go over a few hallmark concepts that separate those people who just sit and talk to those who actually achieve what they put their minds to.

1. People who are successful listen to their intuition and let their inner desires guide them. Did you ever have a feeling about something not being right and just go ahead with it anyways? It is a small voice that is not guided by past failures, other people’s opinions, logic, and history. I’ve found that intuition is strongest when my environment is quite. I keep music, television, and other items to a minimum. Keeping in tune with yourself means that you need to keep the noise around you at bay. Another helpful item is a journal, write down what your intuition tells you.

2. Develop your plan of action. Be sure to write down your goals, if you don’t they won’t be real. Place your goals somewhere that you will see them on a daily basis. Realize that the difference between a wish and a goal is visualizing what you want, once you have a clear picture in your mind you can place that thought in your subconscious. This will allow you to focus on the duty at hand. Visualize yourself loosing 20 pounds; see yourself confidently talking in front of a group of people.

3. Most importantly, create a deadline. Deadlines are a magical way of motivating yourself to get the job done. I’ve found that when I miss a deadline I feel poorly about myself. Goals also should be written with the ending thought in mind. For example, I wish to loose 20 pounds in one year. But I also wish to loose 5 pounds each month for the first 6 months. With this thought in mind it is easier to reach your final goal with a series of steps.

Writing you goals as if they have already occurred helps you achieve your goals. For example, I now weight 145 pounds. I now am able to talk in front of 50 people. Staying sold on yourself motivates yourself to complete all your goals. Fill your mind with positive information, listen to motivational tapes and read books that are based on positive thinking and improvement. Turn off the T.V. and especially do not watch the morning news. Start out your day with viewing your goals that you have written. Be grateful for all that you have and realize that you have the ability for achieving so much more.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

The “Daycare Diva”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-04-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

What Do Rich People Have That You Don't?

Tax season is finally over, which meant I had the grand opportunity of going down to Chicago with my hubby for a small business, internet marketing seminar.

It was fantastic, and I met some really interesting people. Some of you may remember “The Mayflower Madam”. She was very well published in the late 80’s and 90’s due to her gentleman’s service. Well, anyways I got to sit next to her at a round table discussion on online teleseminars. I also met other business owners from as far away as Singapore and Australia. I really love going to conferences and meeting so many interesting people. Many of you maybe wondering, so what exactly did you learn?

So here it goes a profound comment and it applies to any business – daycare or not. And yes it also applies to your personal life.

“Success Leaves Traces”.

Many of you may say to me, yeah what’s the big deal.

This is a big deal, and what I’m trying to get at is so many of us are so busy running around we forget to look at the big picture. We aren’t paying attention at what’s really going on. Work, children, cleaning, busy, busy, busy.

If you watch people who are successful they are because of a reason and they leave plenty of evidence around on how they got to where they are. These people are not any smarter than you or I. But they do have qualities that many people lack. Some of those qualities they have are goal setting, desire, faith, and most of all persistence.

They don’t quit when things get rough. Everyone has challenges and failures.

And by the way, there is no such thing as a failure. A failure is you just realizing that something didn’t work.

Just some food for thought. So starting a daycare was indeed the best thing I’ve ever done. Was it easy? Not always, but totally worth it.

We will be raising the price of our ebook in one week, so if you want to save yourself money and not pay the extra $40.00 then don’t delay. Go to http://www.ExpertsatDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-04-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

What's Most Important in Any Daycare?

The key to any effective, positive, quality childcare program is …… you guessed it the “teacher”.

Over the years it has completely amazed me how parents are so in tune with what’s going on at your daycare even though they spend so little time there. Perhaps 5 minutes when they drop off their child or 5 minutes while picking up. Many parents use their intuition and gut feelings to determine if your daycare is a good place for their child.

With this in mind, I decided to list some characteristics of an effective child care teacher. Keep these points in mind for future evaluation.

Effective childcare teachers have specialized training in early childhood. They have completed all their competencies and consistently educate themselves regarding their field. They love children and continue to find new ways to nurture children and their families.

Effective childcare teachers understand that child care ratios are important and need to be maintained in order to provide a quality program. Teachers who run over their numbers often become stressed-out and struggle to provide loving care to those children they care for.

Effective teachers break-up their classes/centers into small activity based areas. For example: Small Motor, Large Motor, Kitchen Area, Computer, Dramatic Play, Arts and Crafts, Sand Table. The list goes on. Children have the ability to select which activity they want to engage in.

Effective teachers have warmth, communicate warmly with children and their families, allow children to express their feelings, and in general work with parents in a partnership.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-04-16T12:12:00.001-07:00

Are You a Giving Person?

It’s finally spring here in Wisconsin, or at least it’s trying to be. I spent my Sunday afternoon planting Pansy flowers that I had received from one of my good friends, “The Polish Basement Lady”.

You can meet her at: http://expertsatdaycare.com/interviews.html

She came over on Saturday night to enjoy dinner with us and see my new daycare. She loved it and of course being the expert she is even had a few ideas for the other expert, the daycare diva.

You could divide this area into a baby area or you could knock out this wall and make it into a separate area for sleeping. She had a boat load of ideas, but most importantly there was one thing I learned about her that evening.

Her unbelievable generosity to people and her daughters.

Her daughters just graduated from college. One is a chemist and the other is continuing studying on a master’s degree in Social Work. She continues to pay for their education and their loans so that they do not have any financial burdens. She also wishes to pay $5000.00 for one of the daughter’s weddings happening next fall.

When I got married my mother gave me a check for $69.00 so I could go out and buy a vacuum cleaner. That’s it. No flowers, no pictures, no nothing. But I’m married 12 years later and there is so much more to say about that then flowers, pictures, and everything else.

So I’m so grateful for all the generous ladies out there. And I think that a lot of them are daycare providers and owners.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva
http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-04-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

What Does American Idol Have to Do with Daycare?

Hi Everyone:

Like everyone else, I enjoy watching American Idol, but this year it’s been rather interesting. Yes, you say keep your comments to your self and what does this have to do with daycare? Well, just hold on a minute.

My speculations were that Gina would stick around until the end and people like Sanjaya would be voted off in a quick hurry. It’s obvious that he cannot sing nearly as well as the other well deserving contestants. So what gives?

It’s a world we all remember from the days of high school, those dreaded days I remember. It’s defined as:

Popularity.

It does not matter that Sanjaya can’t sing because he entertains . It also remains to be the same with other pop icons such as Britney Spears, Madonna, and who every else you can think of. People like to be entertained, and made important.

So what the heck does this have to do with daycare? Simple. There are daycare centers out there that look beautiful on the outside and inside but suffer from many of the problems that everyone else has. And unfortunately parents flock to these beautiful centers because they look good. Maybe not the greatest teachers, curriculum, but they’ve got the most fandangeled equipment. I can think of one right down the block, that daycare has got a swimming pool and swim lessons. It’s great for the children, but the reality of this is most daycare centers do not have the financial ability to pull this off.

It also goes to show you the idea that people move in packs and in herds. They all do the same thing and also believe that if their neighbors are doing it is must be ok.

The simple fact is don’t worry about the other daycare’s of the world. Do what you love and do it well. And they will come to you.

This is just a snip-it of great information from the Daycare Diva. Start your own Daycare by going to http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-04-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

Cheap Daycare Could Mean Lousy Care

A couple of day’s ago I got a call from a lady who I mentored and she had a very interesting question for me. One that many of you will come across as consumers and sellers of business.

As consumers we are always concerned about the price of things and whether it’s worth the higher price or shall we say the cheap price. This applies to all things from toothpaste to the car we purchase. And I think we have realized that sometimes it’s worth the cheap price and sometimes it’s really not. The same old montra still applies, “you pay what you get for”. So a lot of people really think that the cheap items will lend a “cheap result”.

So back to what I was saying in the first place. I got this call from a lady who was becoming a new daycare provider and her question was, “What if everyone else ( fellow competitors) have a cheaper price than I do?”. Great question.

I firmly believe that providers who undercharge are representing themselves in a manner that does not lend to professionalism in childcare. I also may assume that some of those providers may have issues with enrolling children and charge the cheap price to lure them into their door.

My other thought is if you have a great daycare, provide great quality care, and love what you do you should charge the maximum price for your time out of respect for you and your commitment for care for both the children and their families.

Sorry, this is not a blue light special and we are not talking about toothpaste, but about the most valued, loved, irreplaceable individual in the parents life- their child.

In essence, I would not compare prices, but keep in mind a general idea of the value of your business and time. And what ever you do don’t be the cheapest. Or you will attract clients who want cheap and not quality care. One food for thought, clients who want cheap tend not to be good clients who want to pay.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva
http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

P.S. We have just launched the Experts and Daycare Inner Circle! Each month you will receive a live tele-conference which you will call into. Meet an expert at daycare each month in the comfort of your own home. Special introductory rate of $9.95 per month.
For more information mailto:christine@instantdaycareprofits.com

2007-04-07T19:00:00.001-07:00

The Pursuit of Happyness

I just got done watching the movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness”. Yes, it’s spelled wrong on purpose or so they say in the movie.

I can’t say more than enough about this movie, and what really stood out for me was the fact that one day this man slept in the subway bathroom with his child and several years later he became a multi-millionaire. Almost overnight.

So I guess I have something to confide in all of you. Eleven years ago I was on welfare and social assistance. I had just gotten married and given birth to twin girls and I was not working. My husband Robert had just graduated from college and began working in accounting. Newly married, new parents, new house, and very poor. You may have heard the bits and pieces of our story in my bio at http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

So I really related to this story, I was no different and continue to move onward at the same pace of Chris Gardner (main character in the movie).

What set’s people apart from going from a dismal depressing situation to becoming a winner?

PERSISTANCE

Never giving up on your dreams and never letting anyone take them away from you. There will always be someone out there to shoot you down.

There really is much opportunity I this country we live in and I know you have all heard this before. Blah, blah, blah. But the fact remains, you just have to go to the buffet line and get what you want.

Don’t be shy and don’t think small. It’s all there for the taking. It’s the way God wanted it.

So in lew of his death for us we celebrate that he has risen. And forgiven us for all sins we have committed.

Happy Easter to you and your families,

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-04-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

What You Want Everyone to Say About Your Daycare

Today’s the last of the three part series on what makes a really great childcare center. But first let’s start with a small update on my daycare.

Yesterday I enrolled a child and had a very nice discussion with this child’s mom. You may be saying, (yawn…) this sounds boring. Just hold on a moment for before you think of something else to do.

This lady called me up and said , Yes I want to enroll my child at your daycare and to be frank with you after we met I had no need to look for any other childcare center.

This is EXACTLY the response you want!

So what did I do to get this response?

I bent over backwards to accommodate this future client. She had said to me at our visit that I was the most expensive daycare she had seen in the community ( hence, my income of $90,000) per year. But why did she decide to go with me?

My professional commitment to an excellent family daycare. One other thing that I do is when the parent leaves I give the child a gift. The law of reciprocation.

Psst. Just between you and me I went to the dollar store.

So how many daycare’s give a small gift for their little visitors. No one, I always try to be different and go way above and beyond what anyone expects.

You’ll reap the benefit in the long run, and this applies to anything.

In the next few weeks I will be launching something very special for those who wish to get one-on-one special attention from Experts At Daycare.

What will it be? A live tele-conference in which a Expert at Daycare will be discussing various subjects regarding daycare. This is great for all existing daycare owners and those who wish to start a daycare.

Keep tuned for the updates.

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-04-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

What People are Saying About Instant Daycare Profits

Who ever said that weekends should be relaxing? Not in my house. This weekend was just as busy as any other. On Saturday my daughters Alex and Caroline had a piano competition and did really well. Then on Sunday was cleaning up the old daycare and getting ready to have the old house sold. I can’t tell you how much fun it’s to peel wallpaper border and stickers. I’m just grateful I found a nifty solution that takes anything off walls not including the paint. But the Mickey Mouse stickers were the hardest to remove. Blame it on my kids.

Back to the meat and potatoes. The first thing I would like to mention is the great testimonial I got on Saturday. This great lady purchased my mentoring program and loved it and officially opened the doors to her new daycare. What did she love about it most? Saved her so much time and effort. Here is her testimonial:

My name is Allison McCarron and I bought the Instant daycare profits book . I am Opening my childcare this spring and this book helped me with the end of the business that I really didn't know what to do with. I used a lot of your information regarding the parent handbook, all the forms and the advertising. This was a great book!!!!!!

http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com/salespage.html

Allison McCarron
West Allis, Wisconsin

I’m really proud of Allison, and so glad she successfully did what she set out to do. The above pic is of Allison.

Hope you all have a great week.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

P.S. Do you have your taxes done? The time is coming near. Meet my tax pro hubby daycare accountant at http://www.daycareaccountant.com

2007-04-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Can You Really Hire Your Children to Help in Your Daycare?

Here is a great article that my hubby wrote, I thought you would really enjoy it.
So here you go.

This question is coming up more and more these days. The answer is a resounding Yes. .
The IRS in Pub 13 (circular E) employer’s tax guide, says under Family Employees. Child employed by Parents. Payments for the services of a child under age 18 who works for his or her parent in a trade or business are not subject to social security and Medicare taxes if the trade or business is a sole proprietorship. These wages are also not subject to Federal unemployment tax (FUTA). These wages may be subject to withholding taxes depending on how much you are paying. Will the child exceed the filing limit for filing an income tax return? The limit is $5150.00 for year 2006.

The real question is what you can pay them for and what records you need to keep to justify the deduction. Above it states very clearly that the payments must be for work performed. There must be an employee, your child, and an employer you the child care provider for the deduction to be valid.

I advocate treating your child like any other employee that you would hire. When you hire a new employee you need to fill out two forms, form W4 and form I9. You may also need to fill out certain state forms. Wisconsin has a new hire report that needs to be filed and submitted to the state. You need to keep a file for each of your children. The above forms should be in that file. You will be paying your child for work performed. When you hire other employees for work performed that employee fills out a time sheet and you pay that employee for those hours at an agreed upon rate. Paying your child is no different. You need to keep record of the hours that your child worked and a record of the payments that were made to that child. At the end of the year you will need to issue a W2 to your child.

If you have children under the age of 18 and they are helping out in your small business it makes a lot a sense to pay them out of your business when it come to your income tax return.. Theses wages are a deduction from you business tax return and can go towards setting up educational accounts or simply getting spending money out to your children.

I hope that was helpful to all of you. And for you procrastinators out there- you’ve got 17 days to get into the office pronto.

Well, gotta go I’ve got to put my daughters to work today. We still have daycare equipment at the other house we just moved out of.

Also, thank you for the get well cards and your concern. I’m feeling much better and things are back to normal.

Saving you money,

Robert Groth, E.A.

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

(c) CG Groth Inc. 2007

2007-03-30T07:51:00.001-07:00

What Does Your Target Market Want?

Yesterday I mentioned the 3 important points of your daycare, “right location, right curriculum, and right teacher”.

Today’s topic of discussion is the right location.

In order to have the correct location you must research your market and find out what your competition is, and you also must find out who your target market is and what kind of expectations they have for a “living style”. What I mean by this is,do they currently live in a nice upscale home. If this is the case then your daycare should be upscale. New equipment, professionally looking, and a professional appearance of the teacher.

If your target market is not upscale then new equipment and the latest fan dangled gizmo will not matter so much. You get my point.

Anyway you think about it, you should always present yourself well but some clients may not care about it so much.

The whole thing boils down to knowing what your target market is and what they want and expect from you.

Today’s message is short and sweet, Lynn my teacher has called in sick so I’m in charge.

Not like I haven’t been all along.

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-03-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

3 Points That Make or Break Your Daycare

The other day I found out something that honestly took me years to figure out. And I’m really embarrassed about this and a lot of you may say, well yeah, what’s so complicated about that?

But one thing you must realize is when you’re so close to the forest you can hardly see the trees. I’m sure a lot of you have heard that comment, but it is really true. Especially in business, and the daycare business to be exact.

So what I’m about to tell you is important and really BIG considering that you are getting it for absolutely FREE in this email. But I really believe that my emails should be informative, inspirational, and not boring. Not some jibber jabber that no one cares about.

There are 3 things that will make or break you when running your own daycare. And all three things need to be in place. They are the “right location, right teacher, and the right curriculum”. Any one of these missing can cause a loss of success, income, and business growth.

In the next few days I’ll be going into further depth about these crucial points. So stay tuned!

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

Why isn’t your daycare successful, or are you struggling? Get all the solutions at http://www.startingafamilydaycare.com/salespage.html

2007-03-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Faith is All You Have

Now that moving is almost complete and I’ve got my daycare settled in I can start to concentrate on what I feel is important. And that’s educating myself and growing my business.

It’s been especially hard lately because I’ve gotten off track partially because of the moving but also the fact that my husband has been ill. He’s been on a heavy steroid treatment to relieve some of the problems he’s having but this medication has got some nasty side affects. One of them – CRABBY. It’s been hard living with him but I keep reminding myself that it’s almost over, his medication and tax season for that matter.

Faith is a huge part of getting through the rough times. And we all of times in our life where we wonder how things are going to turn out. Heath, family, business, children. They all challenge us. But I keep thinking that’s the fun of life if we were not challenged we would be bored. That’s just not how God intended it to be.

I came across this following piece in the book that I’m currently reading, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. I absolutely suggest it. And it’s one of those books you have to read more than once. So it’s worth buying.

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win, but you think you can’t
It is almost certain you won’t

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a person’s will-
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man
But soon or late the one who wins
Is the one WHO THINKS HE CAN!

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love, and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-03-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Get Free Toys for Your New Daycare

I’ve always said that you can start up a daycare on a shoestring budget. But so many ladies ask me how do you exactly do that?

But the fact of the matter is a lot of us are very frugal with the money we work for, especially my mother. I have vivid memories on how she would bargain shop for the most unusual things. Today she’s still at it, as she arrives to my home wearing a mink coat and driving a stretch caddie.

Did she pay for that mink coat? Heck no. And what about the Caddie? Well, that was purchased on the “cheap” side of town at one of those corner lots. Very nice car but it does have some mileage on it- she has been driving it for the past 5 years. So you could say it’s served her just fine.

No one would every know, and that’s the point.

And it should be the same when starting a daycare.

I’ve picked-up next to new equipment off the side of streets and even one time a whole shopping bag full of beanie babies. Then I came home and threw it into the washing machine.

We just need to be creative and think out of the box, and I think a lot of you ladies out there have got a good start.

I’ve got a lot more tricks up my sleeve you can find out more at: http://www.startingafamilydaycare.com/salespage.html

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

What is Your Time, Love, and Desire for Quality Care Worth?

Yesterday I got a call from a parent who was looking for childcare for her 18 month old son and was currently pregnant with a “bambino” on the way.

She was extremely excited to have met me and from all accounts she felt that she had finally found her ideal daycare.

This lady who came to interview me at my daycare was extremely educated and upper class. Now, I don’t want any of you to think I have a problem with this but as you will see in the following sentences what I’m getting at.

My visitor was dressed in designer clothes, drives an Acura and after meeting her 18 month old son he was dressed as though he may model for a Ralph Lauren ad for children’s clothing.

But this is fine, and I want to emphasize that I was perfectly at ease with this lady until she decided to chew-me down in my tuition prices.

She commented that she did not want to pay $30,000 for one year of care for her newborn and toddler. Mind you this is full-time care.

Than after that she discussed how she had enrolled her child in a private school in our community that was more expensive than Catholic private schools in our area.

After this comment was a discussion on food, curriculum, etc. No processed foods, fresh veggies, fresh fruits, no salt, no sugar, blah, blah, blah.

Gesh!!

All of this gave me a bad gut feeling. Nice lady, great mother, but I honestly felt that she had very little respect for my profession and the time, and love spent caring for children.

Yes, she has the right to use her money in any way she wishes and I respect that. But my time and efforts should also be respected as well.

Tuition should not be a negotiable amount in regards to what they feel they should pay.

So, no angst to anyone who where’s designer clothes and drives import cars. But realize that quality anything costs including your time, love, commitment, and desire to have a successful daycare.

Don't delay to get your Ebook on Starting Your Own Daycare. Get all the insider secrets on how to get a daycare license, enroll children and avoid all those pit-falls that come along. Go to:
http://www.startingafamilydaycare.com/salespage.html

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-03-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

Who is Your Target Client in Daycare?

It took me years to figure this one out, and you could say I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Ones that cost me some cash and lost revenue.

So what’s the screw-up you ask?

There’s a very fine line on determining who your target customer is and what you offer for childcare.

Ok, your saying to yourself what the heck is she talking about, maybe she’s sitting there sipping on margaritas while typing at night. Sorry to disappoint you, I’m eating chocolate instead.

What I’m trying to tell you is this, you need to be very sure of who your customer is and what they exactly want. Are they accustomed to living in a new home and are they looking for a daycare with new equipment and the latest gadget and gizmo?

Or is your client a low income parent and they are used to not having the latest gadget or gizmo on the block?

What ever it is, a parent will choose you as the provider because they feel “comfortable” with you.

You are like them.

Make sense? Keep this in mind when attracting clients.

Remember people are attracted to what feels comfortable to them, they don’t really like change.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-03-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Freaked Out and Stressed Out

No one wants to hear from a complainer slash winer or what ever you call it, but to tell you it's been one of those weeks.

Yes, I successfully relocated my daycare to my new home. You could say I did it in record time, one week total it took me to move and set up the new place. But don't feel that you must do the same, I worked at this for 9 years in during this time set up 2 other family centers and overhauled one group center. But that's not what stressed me out.

This week my husband became suddenly ill and has been hospitalizedfor the past 4 days.

Tax season always takes a toll on his health and sanity, so it does not surprise me that he over did it. So of course today's subject is stress. And one of the biggest stress factors in your child care is "new children". The fact of the matter is it's such a stressful situation for the child, parent, and provider when a new child starts your daycare. Below is an article that I wrote explaining why this is the situation and what you can do about it. Almost every parent is nervous at sending their child to daycare. They have so many questions, "Is this the right place" or will my child like it here?" The list goes on and I'm sure many of you have been in the situation of wondering if you made the correct choice.

That first day of daycare is often stressful on parents, children,and the providers who care for them. Everyone is discovering new environments, rules, and behavior. But there are some things that you can keep in mind when helping your child adjust to a new daycare. Providers and parents need to work together to make any transition smooth and stress free. Below I have listed the 5 ways you can help a child adjust to daycare. This list I hope will guide parents as well as providers.

1.Every child acclimates to daycare differently. Most children need time to feel secure and comfortable in a new environment. Remember when you were a child, entering a new school and not knowing anyone. It can be quite frightening for the toddler who is feeling unsure.
Typically, it takes 1-2 weeks for a child to settle down and get into a routine. And this also applies for the provider. The provider will need to understand the child's rhythm and personality. What makes them tired, mad, sad, happy,frustrated, what they like to do and the list goes on? So once the provider has gotten to know the child, the day has become much easier. Other children may be totally different, but this is rare.

What I mean by this and I've seen this many times, some children enter a new child care center as though they've been there their whole life. No crying, or upset feelings, they basically say "bye mom" see you later. They've got toys to play with and friends to meet.

2.What are the expectations of the parent? One reason for conflict is the belief of parents vs. provider. A parent must feel comfortable and trust the provider that they are using. If the trust is not established, than the parent will feel very uncomfortable which will in turn be a reason to leave. In many situations it's not that the child is unhappy, it's because the parent feels that the child care center is the wrong environment for their child.

3.Easing the child into care. I often advocate parents to take time in choosing the correct daycare for their child. Visiting the provider on several occasions establishes a common surrounding for the child. Talking to the child telling them that we are going to come here everyday, or Miss. Barb is going to care for you is a great way of establishing a bonding relationship. A child needs time to develop trust for the provider. Also, when dropping off your child it's important to spend extra time making sure your child is relaxed and ready for you to leave.

4.Bringing security items from home. Children often feel more secure when the parent brings items from home. A favorite blanket with mom's smell on it, a stuffed animal, a picture of mom all ease the separation pain a child maybe experiencing.

5. Parents should be welcome to call the provider, especially onthe first day. A simple call of asking how their child is doing reassures the parent that their child is doing well.

I've been getting alot of emails and calls from ladies who are looking for individual attention and personal one-on-one coaching. To truly guarantee your success in starting your own daycare go to:http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com/salespage.html

Love and Blessings,
Christine GrothDaycare Diva
http://www.expertsatdaycare.com/

2007-03-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Building a Great Relationship With Your Parents

First and foremost I would like to wish all you “Irish” a wonderful and green St. Patrick’s Day. The rest of us of course will celebrate with our green eggs, green beer and whatever else we can figure out to die green.

I’ve never been much of a drinker, especially anything that’s green. My St. Patties night will be spent in my cow PJ’s watching T.V. I’m also in hopes of getting back to my reading and putting some positive educational stuff in my brain.

I’ve been guilty lately and haven’t spent nearly the time I’ve wanted in reading and education, moving my home and daycare has definitely stressed me out and taken me off track as to where I really want to go. I’d like to thank all the wonderful comments I’ve received from all of you. My list of subscribers has definitely been growing, we are up to around 500 right now. Readers from all around the world, as far as Africa. It’s been great talking with all of you.

In today’s email I wanted to stress how important positive parent relations are in your daycare. The fact of the matter is parents are depending on you. Why? Because they have issues with time management. In today’s world we are all so stressed and busy with work, social commitments and children. I truly believe parents are looking for a sense of stability. When a daycare shows that they are unstable parents become worried and concerned. So what way’s do daycares open themselves up to unstability?

Teacher turnover, lack of communication to the parent, unclear policies and regulation, gossiping and fighting between daycare workers.

Children look for stability in their life and we all know that children need this to grow and have a healthy attitude. But parents need it as well, especially in a world where there time is on demand.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

Looking for more great and Free articles? Go to http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-03-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

The 4 Characteristics of a Effective Childcare Teacher

The key to any effective, positive, quality childcare program is …… you guessed it the “teacher”.

Over the years it has completely amazed me how parents are so in tune with what’s going on at your daycare even though they spend so little time there. Perhaps 5 minutes when they drop off their child or 5 minutes while picking up. Many parents use their intuition and gut feelings to determine if your daycare is a good place for their child.

With this in mind, I decided to list some characteristics of an effective child care teacher. Keep these points in mind for future evaluation.

Effective childcare teachers have specialized training in early childhood. They have completed all their competencies and consistently educate themselves regarding their field. They love children and continue to find new ways to nurture children and their families.

Effective childcare teachers understand that child care ratios are important and need to be maintained in order to provide a quality program. Teachers who run over their numbers often become stressed-out and struggle to provide loving care to those children they care for.

Effective teachers break-up their classes/centers into small activity based areas. For example: Small Motor, Large Motor, Kitchen Area, Computer, Dramatic Play, Arts and Crafts, Sand Table. The list goes on. Children have the ability to select which activity they want to engage in.

Effective teachers have warmth, communicate warmly with children and their families, allow children to express their feelings, and in general work with parents in a partnership.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-03-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

What Maui Hawaii, Arizona, Florida, and Ireland Have in Common

Hi Everyone:

It’s almost spring, but in Wisconsin it’s time for all the snow birds to go south, and for the tanning salon to makes lots of money. My daughters 4th grade class has 7 children leaving for spring break vacation to various destinations including Maui Hawaii, Florida, Arizona, and Ireland. Yes, Ireland not exactly your warm sunny location but I wouldn’t mind going there some day.

We never- ever go anywhere during spring break basically because it’s in the heat of tax season and my husband isn’t sure what his own name is because he’s so busy. But I don’t mind, I love being busy and I’m so wrapped up in my own business I have very little time to notice the lousy weather, clouds, rain and snow or circles under Robert’s ( my hubby) eyes.

This morning’s event was a newspaper interview, because I moved I figured it to be the perfect opportunity to do an article in the paper, “announcing my new location and all the activities available to parents and children”. I had told the reporter the article should focus on my program and what it has to offer to its readers, not the fact that I have moved. All marketing should focus on what’s in it for the reader, not what it’s it for you.

The reporter will be back next week to take some pic’s of the children and the daycare and the article will be placed next week. One thing to keep in mind, this is FREE advertising and better than any ad you could place in a newspaper. Written articles by reporters pull a better response that the typical classified or block ad. So what do you have to loose?

Marketing is my absolute specialty. I’ve got all kinds of tricks under my hat to find out more go to http://www.startingafamilydaycare.com/salespage.html

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-03-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

A Ton of Bricks Lifted From My Head

Hi Everyone:

Whew! It’s like a ton of bricks have been released off my head, even us experts at daycare get nervous.

Nervous about what?

As I’ve mentioned in the last few emails, I’ve moved to a new home and along with this I’ve decided to move my daycare. What this means is I need to apply for a new daycare license. And this made me nervous, yes nervous. Mainly because I have never met my “new assigned” license specialist before. But I must say, she’s great, easy going, not a pic or anything like that.

Everything went smoothly and she left saying, “you made my job really easy, thanks for having everything in order”. No problems, no worries, just lots of little children arriving in the next few days.

But it’s not a daycare till the children arrive, it smells too fresh and it’s really too quite. We need to witness some crying and atomic diapers,- then it will really be a great daycare.

I’ve interviewed daycare providers who have disclosed all their secrets on how they run their business. Meet Miss.Alex, “The Polish Basement Lady”, find out how she came to this country with nothing and started 4 home family daycare centers and makes $150,000 in revenue yearly.

Go to http://www.expertsatdaycare.com/interviews.html

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-03-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

The Un-Invited Visitor at Your Door

The other day I decided to make a pop-visit on a fellow daycare provider here in my home town Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Why you may ask? Well she had called me several times asking advice on certain issues like policies and what have you. During our conversations I mentioned that I would just pop by one of these days to see her daycare.

I remind you that I really don’t think that I should make a formal appointment to see a fellow daycare provider. Any way you look at it, she’s running a business out of her home and parents’, license specialists; fire department people are bound to arrive at any time. That’s just the way it is.

Needless to say, no time was a good time for this individual. Her house was a disaster to say the least. I tools and a hammer sitting on the changing table. Psst… Yikes! She had two toddlers sleeping in her basement in a “sea” of toys and clutter and mentioned she couldn’t get any of the toddlers to clean up after themselves.

In my daycare, typically clean-up starts one hour before eating lunch. Yes, it takes that long because you must constantly guide and direct toddlers. They have very short attention spans and forget that you just said “Please put the blocks back in the bucket”.

What I’m trying to get at here is always be on the look-out for the visitor who will instantly have a first impression of your daycare. Professionalism, and organization are so important. And remember, the fire department, and police department have the authorization to call the state bureau if they find anything “fishy” going on at your daycare. So be on your toes and don’t get caught with your pants down.

As before mentioned I will be raising the price of my best selling eBook, The Guide to Starting Your Daycare. So don’t miss out, I will be doubling the price and you wouldn’t want to miss out on the “el-cheapo” price.

Go to http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth

2007-03-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

Little Tykes From Hell

In my last email I told you that I was moving my daycare to a new home- that was much larger and much more modern. But one of the things I encountered is that I’m a business woman and daycare provider but really stink at putting equipment together.

A few weeks ago I discovered a fellow daycare provider liquidating all of her equipment, so like I say find the bargains and you can start your daycare for next to nothing. I was able to get about $1500.00 in daycare equipment for $125.00 and one of the items I bought was a Little Tykes jungle climber. My idea was to put it inside for the days where the weather stunk. And in Wisconsin there are lots!

Robert (my hubby) and I mind you could not get this thing together. Yes, I know Little Tykes prides itself on being durable, kid proof play equipment. But what they don’t pride themselves on is putting together their equipment with NO MANUEL. It’s from a rummage if you recall.

Anyways after working on this late last night for 30 minutes we gave-up and said, tomorrow we’ll do it.

Yes, I know how to run a successful daycare, but I can’t put together a Little Tykes Jungle Gym.

If your looking for more ideas on how you can purchase or get equipment for next to nothing go to:

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-03-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Daycare Nightmare

Hi Everyone:

The last few days have been an absolute circus, why? Well I had this really great idea to move in the middle of winter and also when my husband Robert couldn’t help me one bit.

In the last few weeks we have purchased a new home that I absolutely love and once more it will be totally great for my daycare. Finally I will have the ability to have individual learning areas for each child. My existing daycare will move into it’s new place in about 3 weeks until then it’s decorating time. As we speak I have a handy man in the next room replacing door knobs with those that lock so kids cannot get into storage areas where they can get into big trouble.

So I’m totally excited about moving especially the daycare, tomorrow it’s off the “Learning Shop” to purchase all the cute little items to put up on walls. I think all my parents will be very impressed and happy. My goal and deadline is next Monday or seven days to completion. Next week the license specialist is coming in to issue out a new license. To tell you the truth I’m nervous, yes, the Daycare Diva is nervous about getting a daycare license. Why? I’ve never met this lady before and I don’t her. One little tip of advice, some licensers are more picky than others. Some of them will make you bend over backwards for things, so hopefully I’ll have a great lady. I’ve gone out of my way to make sure everything is done and all t’s are crossed. If you know what I mean.

I will be increasing the price of my e-book to $49.99 so you better hurry if you still want to pay the old and “cheaper” price. Go to: http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-02-27T06:57:00.001-08:00

What We Should Learn From Oprah Winfrey

Last night I was watching the “tube” and I’ll tell you that it brought me to tears. This is totally unlike me, I don’t cry much of anything but I found this to be touching.

Many of you may have heard about Oprah Winfrey’s School she created in Africa. Last night we all got the opportunity to see how this school was created and meet the girls who were especially selected for this unbelievable opportunity. An opportunity of a lifetime for these girls who had nothing, but yet everything in their heart and soul.

My first thought is how wonderful for this successful, unbelievably wealthy woman to give so much back to a country that is suffering. To see in each one of those girls an opportunity to give back. I was completely amazed at these girls and their viewpoint of leadership and education. Fantastic and wonderful young girls given the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m so proud of them and feel so happy for them to be taken from poverty and given the world.

Seeing how these girls lived made me feel so grateful for all that I have and my family. We should never take anything for granted. Never the opportunities that are presented or the challenges. They are there for growth, and of course God want’s us to grow and prosper.

Oprah Winfrey has given such a wonderful example, what a wonderful lady. And that’s what our lives should be about as well. Give to others and you will get so much more back.

We are selling out fast The Underground CD Collection. Meet these unbelievable women who run successful daycare’s and gross close to $500,000 per year. Go to:
http://www.expertsatdaycare.com/interviews.html

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth

http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-02-26T06:01:00.000-08:00

One of the Biggest Reasons You Should Start a Daycare

Hi Everyone:

A lot of people dream about having freedom but just aren’t sure on how they are going to get it. Freedom to wake up each morning and plan your day out the way you want to do it. Freedom to make the choice as to how much money you want to make or how little.

Owning your own daycare or any small business for that matter gives you freedom. You’re the boss and you can call the shots.

Every day I tell my employee what hours she will work in accordance with my schedule, I know it may sound selfish to you but I’m the boss and I’m in charge. So of course when things are good they are really good, and when things are bad they are really bad.

We enroll 5 new children and that’s a pay raise for me and a big one at that. Lot’s of buckalucka’s.

You gotta role with the punches stay on track. Each morning I write a list of things to do which focus on reaching my goals for my business and personal life. No day dreaming or waiting for 5:00 P.M. to arrive. Sometimes I work at 6:00 A.M. and take a nap at noon and sometimes I work at noon and go shopping at 3P.M.

You get the point, to get your guide to starting a daycare go to http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-02-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

Vote For Your Favorite Oscar Nomination

It's that time again, and don't forget to vote! I'm not as fortunate as some of my friends who will be attending the Oscar show tonight. So be sure to watch out for a guy wearing a cowboy outfit, he's a personal friend Jim Whelan of The Joan Randall Agency. I've been told by Jimbo that he's already and has got his extra fancy cowboy tux on for tonight. So here it goes, your nominees for tonight:

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva
http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

ACTOR -- LEADING

Leonardo DiCaprio – BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling – HALF NELSON
Peter O’Toole – VENUS
Will Smith – THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker – THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

ACTOR -- SUPPORTING
Alan Arkin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley – LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou – BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy – DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg – THE DEPARTED

ACTRESS -- LEADING
Penélope Cruz – VOLVER
Judi Dench – NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren –
THE QUEEN Meryl Streep –
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet – LITTLE CHILDREN

ACTRESS -- SUPPORTING
Adriana Barraza – BABEL
Cate Blanchett – NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson – DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi – BABEL

CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN’S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE

ANIMATED FEATURE
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

COSTUME DESIGN
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE THE QUEEN

DIRECTING
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIM A THE QUEEN
UNITED 93

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY
(INDIGÈNES)THE LIVES OF OTHER
PAN’S LABYRINTH

ORIGINAL SONG
“I Need to Wake Up”
- AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH“Listen”
– DREAMGIRLS“Love You I Do”
– DREAMGIRLS“Our Town” –
CARS“Patience”

BEST PICTURE
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

ORIGINAL SCREEN PLAY --
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN’S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

2007-02-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

People Who Just Don’t Trust You

Yesterday I got a call from a lady who was looking for daycare for her 6 month old child. She found my name and number on Milwaukee Mom’s, a site that I advertise on for free. Hint… there are these in your community as well.

She first started out the conversation telling me what daycare she was going to in our community and how she hated it and didn’t trust them one bit. In fact she then went to say how she hated the idea of sending her daughter to daycare in general, but had to.

During this conversation I thought to myself, I haven’t done anything to you- good or bad and you have already pre-judged me. To me this is a totally bad client. My personal opinion is if you don’t like having your daughter in “any” daycare than you better figure a way to make money at home and fast. Don’t make me miserable.

I’ve had clients over the years who I have had to bend over backwards to earn their trust. And I will never do this again. If you don’t come into my childcare with a clean slate and NO excess baggage from the past then I will consider you a client.

There just isn’t any need to stress myself out and my employee who I value very much.

There are good and bad clients in every business, you can learn more on how to attract the good ones and stay away from the bad ones at http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-02-23T10:05:00.001-08:00

Snow Equals Money

Hi Everyone:

Yup, it’s gonna snow again we got a forecast for 10-15 inches of snow on Sunday. But that’s ok; I’ll have plenty of time to defrost the big freezer before I move next week.

You said what? Yes, I’m on my way to a new home for me and my family and don’t miss out the “daycare”. In the past few months we purchased a new home that’s soo… cool. Gigantic big green whirlpool tub with mirrors around it. I just won’t have any idea on what I’m going to do.

All of my parents and my employee Lynn are very excited to move; our new daycare will be much larger and will be decorated in animal pics and prints. I’m totally excited because I will be starting a new marketing campaign in a new neighborhood.

You see all of this will start with a postcard mailing to all families who live in the subdivision. I especially picked out this location because of all the “families” with kids. Hmmm…. I think that spells money to me.

Anyways, after the post card we will follow up with an article in the newspaper. This is free of course, I’m relocating my daycare to an extra special location and I’m giving away a free book on what pediatricians think a good daycare should be.

This should all get the ball rolling. In between all of this I’m also working on a tele-seminar monthly coaching program for existing owners.

Let the snow fly, I’ve got lots to do.

http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

2007-02-21T07:08:00.000-08:00

Why I Only Work 5-8 Hours Per Week And Make More Money Than the Average Attorney

I get a lot of questions on what I exactly do all day. Maybe some of you think I work in my daycare, but to tell you the truth I really don’t. I would say I work with my daycare children about 5-8 hours per week, if that.

My main position in my childcare center is enrolling children, to me my time is well spent bringing in money. I’ve got a wonderful lady who works for me and she’s absolutely great with children so I leave that work up to her. I worry about the enrollment, making sure everyone’s happy and business is moving on and doing well.
So I ask you where can you exactly make the kinda of mon.ey and work only 5-8 hours per week? Not many places will allow that.

So what do I do with my day?

A typical day for me is getting up around 6:45 A.M. and getting my twin 10 year old daughters Alexandria and Caroline ready for school. My hubby is already gone and out the door. He works 4 day’s per week and takes off Friday’s. My daughters get driven to school and after that I go home. Most mornings are spent working on my online business finding advertising spots, talking to my web design guy, writing to you, or just plain writing articles. I’ll also be designing new products and writing sales copy to sell those products. In between all of this, there is the laundry, grocery shopping and of course excerise.

Excerise is so important and my absolute favorite is hiking. So just about everyday I steal away in the afternoon to hike at a state park in my area, Lapahm’s Peak.

At 2:30 P.M. it’s time to pick up the girls from school. I will then spend the rest of the day being with my daughters, homework, and taxi cab service to swim team practice.

That’s it in a nutshell. A lot of people think that opening a daycare means 12 hour day’s and no time and all these kids in your house all day. Absolutely not, I’m willing to pay $16,000 per year in payroll if that means having all my time to myself and making a whole lot more money than the average attorney.

See for yourself at: http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

2007-02-20T06:56:00.000-08:00

What If Your Husband Doesn’t Support You Opening a Small Home Business or Daycare Center?

Over the years I’ve heard many complaints from ladies who want to open a small business in their home to help support their family. Maybe it’s a daycare, selling pots and pans, or cosmetics. Anyway you look at it, it’s a small business and some husbands just aren’t supportive of it.

Why you may ask?

Sometimes I think that husbands do not want the trouble that they may think will be caused in their home. They are not interested in the pots and pans sitting in the basement in front of the work bench. Or, the baby in the high chair waiting to be picked up? The fact of the matter is any business you start will involve a commitment on the owner and also will involve some flexibility on the family’s part.

I really think it’s a give and take on everyone’s part. Ladies you need to understand that husbands and children are protective over their things and their space. When your husband is working all day he’s concerned that he’ll have to come home and work there too with feeding babies, helping ship out products, what ever your business may involve.

But on the other hand, it’s also important for the husband to realize that you are earning money for the family and that he should be happy. My husband never complained over the years about my daycare business, and in fact took an active role in running it. He never complained because I was making great money, staying home, raising our twin daughters and last but not least had dinner done when he arrived at night.

Unfortunately not all husbands think this way so it’s your job to emphasize all the great things that will happen because of your home business. And of course realize that your family will need their space so in the beginning just realize this and keep your distance till the money start’s rolling in. They will get the picture.

Looking for some more great articles? Go to http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-02-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

How Christine Groth Answers Questions

I get a lot of emails each week from ladies asking me questions on starting their daycare or maybe that they already have a daycare. The have problems and they are looking for answers- and probably really fast.

Questions on the parent who won’t pay them or what are the best activities to do with a toddler when other children are sleeping.

But I have one problem; I can’t answer all these questions. You see if I were to answer every single question that came across the wire I would be busy all day. And I must say, my priorities lie with family, health, and work. I’m sure you understand that you want to spend time with your kids and hubby when they are home. Besides, I love to read, and relax.

This is all why I designed my products- especially for you. I’ve answered all the questions that you email me about in my ebook and mentoring course. But of course you would need to purchase them. The fact of the matter is I spend “thousand’s” of dollars each year on educating myself. And I think you would be really freaked out on how much money I do spend.

Why?

Because I whole heartedly believe that educating myself equals advancement in my online and offline pursuits. Everyone is there to teach you, that is if you want to listen.

For example, my husband purchased a $1500.00 course which taught him direct mail techniques for his business. What was the outcome? Let’s say 35 new clients which equal a whole lot more that $1500.00 in revenue.

So if your finally willing to learn something and turn off the T.V. and stop dreaming and starting doing go to http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth

2007-02-16T09:26:00.001-08:00

What's Your Dream?

Hi Everyone:

I hear it all the time, “I just don’t have the time to …..” It’s so common that I think all of America is suffering from the I just don’t have enough time to do this or that.

Personally, I think it’s an excuse also I think it’s a matter of priorities. We all have time for exactly what we want to do. Many people ask me how do you get all that done, or manage two businesses, or make that kind of money. Easy I say,

I set goals and priorities.

Each morning before I even open my little eyes, the noggin is already working. I’m praying about all that I’m grateful for, which is an a lot. Grateful for my wonderful health, my family, and the opportunities I’ve been given (or worked for and dreamed of).

Each morning I get out a piece of scrap paper and write my to do list, each item on my to do list relates to a larger picture or goal. Within an amount of time my to do list translates to a goal that has been achieved.

My current goal is to loose 15lbs. Which equals going to the gym each morning and walking for 45 minutes and then sitting in a sauna for 15 minutes. It also equals no sugar, white paste, and desserts. Will I achieve my goals. You better believe it.

It’s all about staying on track.

What’s your dream? Starting your own daycare?

http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

2007-02-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

What Are You Fearful About?

Hi Everyone:

Last night I went out to pick-up my daughters from swim practice came home and there stood my husband in the middle of the kitchen saying, “I have an announcement”.

He said to Alex and Caroline, I got the results from your piano competition from last weekend; needless to say we have been eagerly waiting the results. Alex you got an excellent rating, and Caroline you got a superior.

What does this mean?

It means that Caroline get’s her first trophy and Alex get’s nothing. And so the night of tears began.

Alex was completely disappointed but out of heartache there is something always to be learned. In this perfect example Alex thought that her sister was better than her at “everything”. She’s the one that got the trophy; she’s the one that got a ribbon at swimming and not me. I’m the failure.

There are no failures. Failures are only experiences that teach how not to do things next time.

Failures are people who don’t try because they are afraid, their fear controls them.

What are your fears?

You may be asking yourself what does this have to do with starting a daycare? Everything my friend. You’re not just starting a daycare, your starting a business which will catapult you into a new world of thinking, success, and enjoyment. You no longer the employee who is told what to do. You’re in charge.

Don’t let your fear determine your success in life. Feel the fear, and do it anyways.

Like I said to Alex, I’m proud of you for all you do, you’re a wonderful girl whose smart and sweet and don’t let this determine who you are and what you will do. You will get what you want--à http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

Love and Blessings,

Christine
Daycare Diva

2007-02-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Is Your Child Too Sick to Go to Childcare?

On February 8th, 2007 the Wall Street Journal published an article on “sick days-when to keep your child home from daycare”. To summarize the article it basically discussed the fact that many parent’s have problems when children become ill and they still have to go to work.

This is very true, many parent’s do have problems when finding back-up childcare mainly because we are a busy society and just about everyone has something planned today, tomorrow and next week. So when a child does all of the sudden become ill it’s a huge issue.

Part of the problem also lies in the child care facility and their clear explanation of what their policies are. The article in the Wall Street Journal stated that many parents were not sure as to what the sick policy was of their childcare center. So, at 2A.M. does the parent have a clear understanding of whether that child should stay home? Maybe, maybe not.

Everyone realizes that the best place for a sick child is at home- it's in the best interest of the child to advocate this in our daycare centers and to our parents.

As a reminder, when new parent enrolls in your childcare be sure to discuss with them your policies. What are the specific restrictions you have when a child is ill? And be exact, what is the exact temperature that a child should be not allowed into childcare. Make sure that you take a special time to discuss your policies on illness and what illnesses are not allowed in daycare.

Policies are so very important you definitely want to keep your daycare smooth and running.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

To Receive More Free Articles and Information Go To http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

2007-02-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

The Demise of Anna Nicole Smith

I really never found Anna Nicole Smith anything interesting to pay attention to, but I might as well say I've been paying attention since yesterday's announcement. I guess my feelings are that her life is really sad. Think about it, your son dies of a drug overdose, then Anna repeats the whole thing. Today I was watching the news and they were saying how "Trimspa" had pulled all their advertising with Anna Nicole in it. Why? well because one of the ads shows her standing in front of the Seminole hotel where she wiped herself out.

Then this morning the interview with her mom states, that she warned her about who she hung out with or she would be just like her son. This is all just pathetic and sad, someone like her a national celeb. she gets all this publicity for being what? A druggie.

But I must say it's getting interesting, now all these men that slept with her are coming out to claim fatherhood.

I can tell you none of them probably cared one lick until they findout that there could be money in it for them.

On a lighter note I got this really great article that I wanted topass on to you. Don't worry it is positive. The article is by Jim Rohn, an author who I really like.

One of his famous sayings is "People who are successful have big libraries not big T.V. sets. It's true. So here you go.

Personal Philosophy

by Jim Rohn

Economic disaster begins with a philosophy of doing less and wanting more.
If you want to amend your errors,you must begin by amending your philosophy.
The only thing worse than not reading a book in the last ninety days is not reading a book in the last ninety days and thinking that it doesn't matter.

Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out.
Initial response illustrates a great deal about someone's personal philosophy.

Only human beings can reorder their lives any day they choose by refining their philosophy.
The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; the key factor is your philosophy.

Don't borrow someone else's plan. Develop your own philosophy and it will lead you to unique places.

If you learn to set a good sail,the wind that blows will always take you to the dreams you want,the income you want, and the treasures of mind, purse, and soul you want.

Your philosophy determines whether you will go for the disciplines or continue the errors.
Philosophy is the sum total of all that you know and what you decide is valuable.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Christine GrothThe Daycare Diva

P.S. Have you checked out my new website? If you want to read some more articles I've written, go to http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

2007-02-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

Antibiotics, -15 Degrees and the Boogies

Hi Everyone:

It's time for all of you to be greatful on where you live. I have one subscriber, Christine who is from Uganda Africa and I'm sure about one thing. It's warmer there than it is here.

My twin 10 year old daughters have had school cancelled for the past two days because our daytime "high" temperature is -5degrees F. I feel as though I'm living in Antartica, not to mention the cold weather- everyone has been sick including me.

Last week I came down with the usual cold, but then it turned into a sinus infection that just plain pooped me out. It's not normal for me to take a shower and then have to lay down for 45 minutes to rest up.

Anyway's my antibiotics have kicked in and I feel back to normal this morning, Alex and Caroline have also gone back to school which means I might actually get something done today. I know you mom's out there now exactly what I mean!

There was something that I did learn in the midst of all this lousy weather and sickness and boogies ( slime coming out of your nose).

This past Monday all the area schools and daycares took the opportunity to close their doors. Did I close my doors? Absolutely not, and I'll tell you why I kept my daycare open.

First of all yes, it was very cold out. Monday morning it started out at -15 degrees. But here was my thought. My daycare children don't ride the bus, will not be outside, and have no danger of getting into trouble in the cold weather. With this in mind I decided to keep my daycare open. What happenened you maybe wondering?

I got call's from other parents in the community asking if I was open, I said yes and they made appoitments to come to see my daycare. The thought process here is do the opposite of everyon eelse. You will attract attention. And of course think foryourself, just because everyone else closed doesn't mean you needto do the same thing.

Parent's still needed to go to work that day and I really wanted to take them into consideration. I also knew my parent's would bundle up their children well and keep them warm. They were so happy Ithought of them.

Take some time and go to http://www.expertsatdaycare.com/ Check out some of my free articles or forms.

Also the Underground CD Interviews has arrived. Go tohttp://www.expertsatdaycare.com/interviews.html

Find out who these mysterious women are who run daycare's and makeover $151,052 each year.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
The Daycare Diva

2007-02-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Wrangler Jeans Cost #@^%$&

It's so freakin cold here in Wisconsin ! I know what you will all say, but it's your choice to live there.

Well your right, but the problem is that Wisconsin is my home. Born, raised, Wisconsin cheeshead. But I starting to get bothered with the cold weather. Today the high is supposed to be 5 degees, and tomorrow that same. When it's that cold my house is cold and the heating just can't seem to compete with the temps.

Anyway's I was watching a little T.V. yesterday while working and noticed in interesting commentary by this so called designer. Geta load of this, the old time cowboy jeans, Wrangler the one's thatyou buy at Farm and Fleet for $30.00 are being re-designed.

What they have done is change some of the stitching, add some brassbuckles and turn them into hip riders. I think they still look the same and signify the cowboy reputation. But your wondering what could be different? The price of course.

These new fandangled jeans, same old Wranger cost $150.00 and are carried at the she-she- poo-poo salons in Beverly Hills.

Will they sell?

You bet your bottom dollar they will.

I was completely interested in this because it illustrates one simple fact. Take something old, dress it up a little, and present it in a new way or to a new place and you've got a high priced selling item.

Realistically it's no different with childcare. Decide to start a childcare, but make it catered to a special market. Maybe only take care of infants, or todd's, or older kids.

It shows for anything, offer the unusual and you will make cash.

To find out more, go to

to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com/
http://www.startingafamilydaycare.com

Hey, it's also tax time, looking for a handsome, tax pro accountant. He's also my hubby.
Go to http://www.daycareaccountant.com

Until then,
Love and Blessings,
Christine GrothDaycare Diva

2007-01-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Secret Meeting

It's one of those day's here in Wisconsin, but this morning Irealized I was having a technical issue, and probably a large one at that.

I opened my email box to find out that my ezine newsletter format that I send you guys every week had been lost. So I'm back to the usual format of sending emails, so I hope that's ok with all of you.

Back to the juice- I had a wonderful past weekend. I went to a secret meeting in a secret place.
But what it actually was a Mastermind Meeting, a meeting with people from all around the world getting together to discuss their businesses and their plans for the future. These people were not the usual crowd.

Motivated, driven, and not bothered by anyone else. We sat next to a guy from Japan, and then talked to another from London, and then there was the Cowboy from West Palm Beach. Last year he made over 10.5 million dollars with his advertising agency and one of his clients is Donald Trump.

Does he look like a filthy rich guy? Absolutely not, he drives a 1999 Cadillac and wears a cowboy hat. Anyway you look at it these people were driven to succeed and make their dreams come true- hungry. No excuses, no barriers in their way. And that's how you should be. No excuses to start your own daycare, be your own boss, and most importantly no be like everybody else.

If your looking for a great start go to http://www.startingafamilydaycare

Love and Blessings,
Christine Groth

http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com
http://www.startingafamilydaycare.com
http://www.daycareaccountant.com

P.S. Your going to think this is weird, but I'm changing DaycareQueen to Daycare Diva. Why? The cowboy told me too, and I listento what ever the cowboy suggests I do.

2007-01-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

The Three Things You Need in Starting Your Own Daycare

We’ve all got ideas as to what you would need in starting your own daycare center, but I bet your think about furniture, craft items, activities you could do with your newly enrolled children. But wait a second, what is really important when starting a daycare center. Is it the furniture, or the things you’ve got sitting around? Let’s evaluate this for a minute and find out what’s so important.

First of all in my perspective one of the most important things that you will need in starting a daycare is the absolute love for children. If you don’t have this from the start you’ll have problems. Daycare is all about the kids, and you’ve got to love them even if their not yours. Case closed.

Second, you’ve got to be able to run your own show, and not have anyone there to tell you what to do. Running your own daycare means you’re on your own.

Third, you need to have a curriculum based program. Parent’s want to see that their children are being taught and are growing. Don’t even think about putting them in front of a T.V. for more than one hour, it will hurt your reputation and the future of your daycare business.

The three above mentioned are so important in establishing the basic’s of your new daycare center. If anyone of those is missing than you will have continued problems in enrolling children and having a quality program with a good reputation.

(c) 2007 CG Groth Inc.

The “Daycare Diva”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2007-01-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

The 3 Myths of Opening Your Own Group Daycare Center

It’s a dream of many providers to move from their family daycare or job into opening their own group daycare. But there are many challenges in opening a. group daycare and the adventure should not be taken lightly.

Group daycare centers are very serious take a great amount of commitment on the part of the owner. Many times I have seen others decide to open their “own place” and not take into consideration what’s really going on. So I’ve considered on exposing some of the myth’s I’ve heard over the years. Setting everyone straight from the beginning will avoid a lot of wasted time and money in the long run.

Myth #1

When I move from a family daycare to a group daycare all my current parents will follow me. Hold your horse’s partner, did you ever talk to any of your parents to find out if they liked the group environment? Many parents distinctly prefer either family or group. You need to find out if they are flexible in leaving your family and want to follow you to group.

Myth#2

Running a group center is not much more expensive then family. Group centers are expensive to run to say the least. A few expenses that are not involved with family but in group include: building cost (rent, insurance), cleaning, higher utilities, extra employees, equipment, licensing costs, accounting and payroll services, and many others.
AND, don’t forget about Uncle Sam he wants a piece of the pie as well.

Myth #3

I work at a group daycare and my daycare parents love me and will follow me where ever I go.

I’ve seen this one happen on too many occasions, daycare teachers trying to manipulate parents into doing what they want. Stealing files and addresses and then contacting them outside of hours telling them they are going to open their own daycare. Talk can be very cheap especially in group daycare’s where women tend to be very social able and gossip. The fact remains that parents will want to stay with the established business first.

Lastly, due your research and due diligence. Don’t jump into anything before you’ve figured out exactly what’s it going to cost you. Save yourself the stress in the long run.

© 2007 CG Groth Inc.

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2007-01-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

Should You Get a Daycare License or Not?

To be or not to be, that is the question. Or shall we say to get a daycare license or not. There are many beliefs regarding daycare licenses and it’s my job to inform you of all the pro’s and cons. The first part of having a successful daycare is applying for a license. Remember were in this business to provide quality childcare, and to have longevity (no burnout).

1. Daycare Licenses are there for a reason. And the big reason is to protect you legally from getting sued.

2. Safety should be your #1 priority in your daycare and having a license promotes rules and regulations that instruct you on how to keep your daycare safe- and prevent you from getting sued for poor daycare practices.

3. Rules and Regulations for daycare licensing promote quality daycare.

4. Rules and regulations are there to protect the parent and their children. Parents who find providers who are licensed have greater trust in them.

5. Some states require you to be licensed to collect state aid payments or be a member of their food program- this equal’s more money for you.

Many providers do not have daycare licenses and do operate with numerous children in their care and from daycare licensing standards are over their numbers even if they had a license. In my personal opinion I think this is playing Russian roulette.

Either you will get burned out, or some terrible accident will happen. I certainly would hate to see anyone on the nightly news regarding some accident or forgotten child left behind. It gives everyone in the daycare industry a bad reputation. Not because you might have made the error but because people stop trusting others in taking care of their children.

Again, get your daycare license. It’s in your best interest.

(c) 2007 CG Groth Inc.

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2007-01-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

What’s Holding You Back From Starting a Daycare?- The Top 4 Reasons

I receive many emails and also hear a lot of stories as to why people don’t start a daycare. It’s not that they are not interested, but they have their own reasons as to why there not getting into what I call the “best business since sliced bread”.

#1 Reason- My husband won’t let me do it. I always follow up this comment with the question; does your husband have any idea on how much money you could make? And on top of all of that have the ability to stay home with your children and have a meal on the table, laundry done at 6:00P.M.? He might reconsider your plea if you bring up these key facts to him.

#2 Reason- I don’t have any time, or I home school my children during the day. My solution to this? Hire an employee who works part time. Last year I paid my FULL-TIME employee $16,000 in wages. You already get the idea I made a whole lot more money and didn’t even work close to part-time. A lot of people don’t want to hire anyone and pay them, but it’s worth it. It gives you independance and to me it’s totally worth it.

#3 Reason- I don’t want to go to school or get a license. Do your research before you make a decision, find out what your state actually requires of you. Some states do not require a license and in the state of Wisconsin you only need 40 hours of education to start a daycare center.

#4 Reason- Will I make enough money? That’s entirely up to you. Work as much or as little or hire an employee. Being your own boss means you set your own rules. No one is telling you what to do anymore.

© 2007 CG Groth Inc.

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2007-01-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

Keeping Your Family Daycare Clean and Healthy

One of the number one reasons that a daycare is successful is because it’s clean. When you enter the daycare not only does it look clean and organized, but it also smell’s clean. I hate to say it, but your nose is your best weapon against defense. If you think it smells bad, then it will certainly leave a lasting impression on the parent who comes to visit your daycare center.

So I’m here to give you some pointers on how you can keep your daycare clean and sweet smelling. It will cause you to do some elbow work but it will be well worth it in the long run. Increased enrollment, increased positive word of mouth equals money.

1. Clean and sanitize daily. Each day you should be making a solution of 1 tbsp. bleach per gallon of water; this will be used to wipe down all hard surfaces that contract germs. Examples would include: door handles, kitchen tables, toys shelves, kitchen counters, bathroom areas, bathroom toilet lids. All toys that are “mouthed” by children should be sanitized each day, and toys that are played with and have hard services should be wiped down once a week.

2. All carpets in your daycare should be steam cleaned every 3 months.

3. Use air fresheners when it’s too cold out side to open windows, but when it’s warm be sure to keep your windows open and circulate the fresh air.

4. Wash sleeping bags, sheets, pillows, once a week in a soap and bleach solution.

5. Sanitize your diaper pail each week, and make sure you get those nasty diapers out of your daycare A.S.A.P. in the outside trash. If might mean going out to the trash 2-3 times per day, but it’s worth it to get that stuff out of the house.

6. Make sure you clean up right after lunch. Children will often drop food on the floor and if you have a parent who visits you for an appointment you certainly would not want to leave the impression of food lying around.

The six steps above are a good place to start, there are of course many other items to clean and for too many of us cleaning seems to be endless but it’s necessary in everyday life and especially business.
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The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

===================================

2007-01-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

The 5 Big Mistakes That Spell Disaster for Your Daycare Center

It’s true, we all make mistakes but most times those mistakes just won’t matter. People and children especially tend to be resilient. But there are some mistakes that you can make that will set your small business on a course for disaster. So let’s go over these crucial errors that I’ve seen made and keep them in the back of your mind so that you have not problems in the future.

#1 You have no set curriculum or structure. If you’re looking for quality families and parents who care about their child’s development then you want to make sure you have a program that nurtures, educates, and challenges children. Parents are willing to pay you well if they feel you have a great program. You will also have a greater opportunity to increase your enrollment if you have people asking to enroll in your center. A lousy program, watching T.V. not going outside will hurt you in the long run. You’ll have problems enrolling children and the children who you do enroll may not want to pay.

#2 Your not licensed and don’t abide by state rules. I got a call last week from a lady who was running an in home daycare with 8 children each day. She was not licensed. What scared me was, “what if some type of accident happened and it was found out that she was running an illegal daycare?’ She could get sued. Daycare licenses and rules are there for your protection (and the families). Again, I say please get a license if you want more than 3 kids in your home it’s for your own protection and I don’t want to see you get sued.

#3 Your daycare is not safe. Again this goes hand and hand with having a license. Be absolutely careful and make sure that safety is your number one priority. One example is making sure that all your children are accounted for when going outside and coming inside. Always count heads, you don’t want to forget a child.

#4 Not keeping your daycare clean. An unclean daycare is a daycare with a bad reputation, sick children, sick teachers, and low enrollment. Need a say more.

#5 Lack of professionalism. This is an article in itself. But to keep it short don’t forget to answer the door, come announced in your PJ’s, talk unprofessionally, be opinioned and brash. You get the idea.

(C) 2006 CG Groth

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2007-01-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

The Five Things That Every Parent Should Know About Their Provider

All parents’ out there should know about what there daycare provider is thinking, but often enough the provider is not telling just what’s on there mind. Why you may ask? Well they just don’t want to hurt any feelings, and of course loose any business. But the fact remains for there to be a nurturing and thriving relationship the parent needs to know and be aware to the needs of the provider. So here it goes, the five things parents should know about daycare. Or at least the 5 things every daycare provider should be telling their parents.

1. This is a business and not baby sitting. I hate to say it, but when people call me a babysitter I get angry. I’m thinking to my self, since when did baby sitters make $90, 000 per year? I also did not know that baby sitters paid tax like I do. You get the idea.

2. Daycare providers charge late fees. Late fees could be imposed on late payment, not picking up the child on time, and various other reasons. It basically comes down to respect. Realize that everyone’s time is important and should be respected, if not a late fee should be imposed.

3. Providers are not housekeepers. Since when did anyone like cleaning up after someone else’s mess? Again, this goes hand and hand with the respect issue.

4. Boundaries and Rules for Parents: This is so very important and I hear complaints from providers over and over again. If a provider does not maintain a rule enforcement or policy handbook that parent will not know where its boundaries and guidelines are. The provider will get frustrated by the parent and the idea that the parent does not respect the provider. From the very beginning the provider needs to establish clear and definite boundaries and if these rules are broken then there should be a consequence.

5. Scrapes and Scratches will happen. Children who leave daycare looking just as clean as they arrived may have not done anything all day! Outside play, sandboxes, dirt, spaghetti, all involve a child’s curiosity to touch and explore. Along with this comes mess, so don’t expect a child to be spanking clean at the end of the day. But also realize that they should not be terribly dirty either.

This article is meant to help all providers and parents as well, feel free to print and give to your parents. It’s the goal of everyone to have a wonderful relationship with their provider.

© 2007 CG Groth Inc.

About the Author: The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2006-12-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

How to Get Children Sleeping at Daycare in 3 Easy Steps.

Getting 8 children to fall asleep in your family daycare is a task that with a little experience and know how can be done effortlessly. How is it even possible to get all these children taking a nap at the same time? Well, I’m here to tell you it is totally possible but you will need some pointers and advice. It’s not an easy task, but who said anything in life was easy. Not having a challenge would mean your life would be boring and you wouldn’t learn anything. Some how I don’t think that’s what God had in store of us.

The first important tidbit of information is consideration for the sleeping environment in your family daycare. Children must have an area that is quite and dark to sleep in, and this area must be separate from other areas where there may be noise. Without this children will have distractions falling asleep. These distractions be may the phone that rings or the toys that are across the room. Children especially need to feel relaxed in order to fall asleep.

Complete all busy, energetic activities, exercise and outdoor play early in the day. I always say poop them out and get all that energy out! If children have had an active morning they are more inclined to take a nice afternoon nap. Also try not to give children candy or other sugar related items. This only get’s them too excited and it’s just plan bad for children’s teeth.

Make sure you understand your children and find out who the good sleepers are and those who are not. Try to separate the children who fall asleep right away from those who do not and need assistance. The children who have problems falling asleep and relaxing will need their backs rubbed and will need to be directed to lying down and not leaving their sleeping area.

For children who wake up early make sure you have quite activities set aside for them so that they do not disrupt the rest of the sleeping children. Construct a special box for “early risers” that has all activities that can be done quietly. This way the children who are sleeping will have extra time to rest. Your earlier riser box can contain books, stickers, coloring, small game.

Getting all your daycare children to sleep at the same time is a task that will be achieved with trial and error. It takes time and experimentation for you to learn what works and what doesn’t. Every provider has a certain way of organizing their day and it’s up to you to decide just how you want things to be.

© 2006 CG Groth Inc.

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2006-12-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

5 Tips to Having Excellent Communication in Your Daycare

One of the biggest reasons for parent dissatisfaction is lack of communication. It’s extremely important in any small business and especially in family daycare. Remember daycare centers are taking care of a persons must valuable asset, their child. So it only goes to show that a parent is concerned about the level and commitment of care that they are receiving from a daycare provider. Communication is of such importance, not only does it show that you care about your clients, but also that you are a professional in the daycare industry.

When a parent comes at the end of the day to pick up their child, always start out a conversation with positive information. If there is anything negative to say about a child place that information in the middle of a conversation. So in other words, start with positive comments, than negative, and always end in positive.

When interviewing parents for enrollment to your daycare, always ask many questions regarding a families habits and patterns. What do they enjoy doing on weekend, what are their concerns regarding childcare, what are they looking for? Really try to find out what kind of family your customer is and what their needs are. Chances are you will be better off filling their needs if you know who they are from the very beginning.

Establish your rules and guidelines from the beginning. Having a contract stating your rules and regulations establishes a boundary in your business. So many times I hear from other daycare owners that parents do not respect their wishes. From the start you need to set the rules and boundaries, if you don’t parents may take advantage of you.

Always give parents enough time and warning. If you plan on closing your daycare, raising your prices, or making any type of change give your parents enough time. Many people do not do well with change so it’s always important to give them more than enough time to make the appropriate changes.

Once a year do a survey in your daycare. Find out if your parents are happy and what kind of improvements they are looking for. The more information you find out about your parents and what they want the better off you will be. Make sure that the survey is anonymous so that parents are not afraid to tell you their thoughts and opinions.

© CG Groth Inc. 2006

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

2006-12-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

The 3 Little Things You Do That Mean A Lot In Your Family Daycare

Have you ever noticed that when you visit a business you can just tell that every little detail is well thought out? That customers are appreciated, cared for, or maybe even loved.

This is very true especially for some major corporations in the United States for example, Disney. When visiting a Disney Theme Park you’ll never notice anyone working on the grounds maintenance during the day. All work, including cleaning, planting and water flowers is done at night. After the park closes massive flood lights go on so that all the workers can complete maintance at night. Why do they do this you ask? Well, because Disney Theme Parks are all about the illusion of happiness and escaping from the real world. Everyone is always friendly and there to help the visitor.

Getting back to family daycare how can you do the little things that mean a lot to your customer? Another thing to think about is, how can you set yourself apart from the daycare down the block?

Tip #1

Make Birthdays for your daycare children a BIG deal: Each time a child in your daycare has a birthday, especially the 1st make a totally big deal out of it. Have a small birthday party, have the special child wear a birthday hat, make some cupcakes and of course purchase a gift for the child. Know, I’m not saying break the bank, but you can definitely go to the Dollar Store and buy a few items. All these thoughts spell out one idea to your parent, “I really care about your child”. Parent’s will feel all warm and gushy inside when they arrive to pick up their child and you tell them about their special birthday, and then hand them a small present to take home.

Tip#2

Offer coffee or warm cookies when a parent drops off or picks up their child. This is just one way to make your home inviting to the parent who is on the rush to or from work. Little items that set you apart from other day care centers and ease the craziness of the work day for most parents.

Tip#3

Taking Pictures of children’s activities:

Wouldn’t a parent who misses their child and want’s to participate in their activities love a picture at the end of the day? Or we could even take this one step further, for those of you who are technical savvy (it’s not me) what about sending an email to the parents workplace with a pic of their child having a great time? “Mom, look at me I’m having so much fun!”
The fact of the matter is so many parents feel guilty about dropping off their children in the morning, why not make them feel a little bit better about their choice.

Pretty simple right? The little things mean a whole lot in every small business. Go out of your way to help others and you will reap the reward.

The “Daycare Queen”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit www.startingadaycaretips.com

2006-11-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

What if you have no business experience in starting up a daycare?

I get many questions from ladies who are concerned about starting a daycare and they have no business experience. To be very truthful, nine years ago I had no business experience and on top of all things I was a new mother and had really no experience with children.

Was I crazy?

Absolutely not. Starting a daycare in my home was one the best things I have ever done for my family. It allowed me to stay home and raise my twin daughters and make money at the same time. I loved caring for other children as well, it was wonderful to see them grow and develop. Not only was I caring for another family’s child but I was also a part of their family. Many parents over the years have disclosed their lives and have confided in me about their personal situations.

Back to the question at hand, do you need business experience? I would say no. One of the best things you can do in order to discover the world of childcare is to find a mentor. When I first started my daycare I called a family provider in my area and asked if I could come over and ask her some questions. She was happy to tell me everything about her daycare.

Remember, ladies who do daycare are very nurturing individuals who want to help others.

So feel free to ask questions, and remember that you can start out your daycare small. I started with only two children and then I grew from there.

I love family childcare and think it’s a wonderful solution for families and children alike.

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Christine Groth, author, mentor, speaker has written the book, "The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits". You can receive her free newsletter on how to start up a daycare go to: www.instantdaycareprofits.com

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2006-11-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

Is It Too Expensive To Start a Daycare In Your Home?

Opening a daycare in your home has so many benefits to it; the list goes on and on. One of the greatest benefits that excites so many ladies is the fact that you can make money and stay home and raise your children.

This was initially why I started my daycare.

I was a new mom of twins and I had an absolute desire to stay home and care for my daughters. So it all worked out perfectly, I made money, took care of my family and had a really great time teaching and caring for other people’s children.

Many of you have asked me advice on if starting a daycare is expensive. This could be farther from the truth. To be honest with you most of the items I use in my daycare I had already owned. Just think about it for a minute, many of you are already mom’s and have toy’s laying around the house.

And if you don’t you can purchase toys at rummage sales, and Goodwill for cheap. Books and toys can be borrowed from the library and parents who attend your daycare can be asked if they have any items they would like to donate. Over the years I’ve gone to businesses in my area asking them if they had any donations, I’ve gotten items such as envelopes, huge roles of paper, colored sheets of sticker paper, books of wallpaper samples, the list goes on. All these items can be used for craft projects with children.

It always helps to be creative, one other thing I did that received rave reviews is I bought a large circular wooden table at Goodwill for $15.00. It was a beautiful table but too tall for small children. My solution was to chop off the legs.

It’s very important to keep in mind that many items around your home can be turned into items that would be great for daycare. Another example would be bones from Thanksgiving Turkey Dinners. Keep the large sized leg bones to show children and teach about bones in humans and animals.

Starting a daycare in your home is one of the cheapest businesses you can start. It only takes a short time to get things up and running. It’s not uncommon to start a daycare in one week’s time.

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Looking To Start A Daycare? Go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com
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Blessings,

Christine Groth

2006-10-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

How to Find a Child Daycare Center

It’s a daunting question for many parents, new and old. Some of you are first timers with a brand new baby in your home and others of you have several children. All in all you have decided it’s time to go back to work and find a child daycare that meets your beliefs.

But the question is what are your beliefs on what a good child daycare should be?

This is something for you to definitely think about, for you to find a good child daycare you need to determine what kind of environment you most definitely feel comfortable in.
Here are some of the questions you should be asking yourself before you venture out in looking for a child daycare center.

1. Do you feel more comfortable with a family child daycare or a group child daycare? Both are very different. A family child daycare is usually run by one person who is the owner, and usually out of someone’s home. A group child daycare is usually out of a commercial building with staff on hand. Children are divided according to ages. For example all babies are in one room, all toddlers in another, and so on.You get the idea. Family child daycares usually mix all ages together, but family daycares are small- only about 8 children per center. Group centers can be very large. Perhaps up to 250 children in one center.

2. What is the policy of the child care center? Be sure to ask what there rules are regarding sickness, time off, vacations, paid holidays, emergencies. Make sure that you are clear on what these policies are; be clear on what the child daycare center is expecting of you and vice versa. Many times this is how parents and child daycare centers get into disagreement. Not over the actual childcare provided but over the policies established by the center.

3. Do you trust the provider who will be taking care of your child? If you don’t trust the provider chances are you will leave the center. Also understand that child daycares aren’t perfect. Anytime you leave your home you take the risk of error. I’m not trying to protect the child daycare center, but people do make errors and understand that children will be children. They will argue, get dirty, hit their friends and so one but realize that they are learning and this is their nature at such a young age.

I think that the above questions are so important in asking yourself. Realize that choosing a child daycare center is an important decision. Children need consistency and stable loving relationships- this is so much more important then fancy toys and big buildings.

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Christine Groth, has helped hundreds of women open their own family childcare centers. An author and mentor she has developed a mentoring system that guarantees their success in small business. To receive her free 3 part newsletter, go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com
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(c) CG Groth 2007

How to find a child daycare center

2006-10-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

What Should a Parent Handbook Be About For Daycare Centers?

This article is mainly suited for parents who are looking for childcare and daycare owners who are constructing policies on what their daycare center rules should be.

The main objective of a parent handbook in the daycare setting is to establish rules and boundaries for the parent and daycare provider. Without boundaries and rules many issues erupt which could have been avoided in the first place. It is extremely important for you the parent to understand what your provider expects. As well as the provider, it is important for you to lay down the ground work so that no confusion lies between you and the parent.

Below will be a guideline that you may wish to follow regarding rules and standards established for your daycare center.

A parent handbook about daycare centers should have the following information:

1. Sick policy: What are the guidelines that the center will use when a child becomes ill? When will the parent be called, how high does the temperature need to be for a parent to be asked to come pick-up the child? What if the child has an unexplained rash? Loose bowel movements? Falls and hits his/her head? What is the policy for re-entering childcare after being home with illness? What contagious diseases are not allowed in your center? Will you allow sick children to be in your center? These are all very important questions that need to be addressed by the parent and the daycare provider as well.

2. Pick-Up Child Policy: Issues should be addressed on who is picking up the child, and what if someone else shows up to pick up that child and you don’t know about it. Are both parents together or divorced and what is the arrangement with custody. If there is a situation that a parent is not allowed to pick up a child it would be wise to have legal documents on file stating the arrangement by court. If a child is walking from school or being picked up by your center there should be paper work on file stating these arrangements.

3. Tuition: A contract stating price and payment should be filled out by both the parent and the daycare center. There should be a clear understanding of how many days the child will attend and what the charge will be. There should also be an understanding of what charges there will be when a child is not attending childcare.

4. Vacations and Time Off: Will the daycare provider be taking off for a vacation and will the parents still need to pay for childcare? What about emergency closings, what are the policies regarding this. What holiday’s will the center be closed and are they paid holiday’s or not.

5. Punishment and disorderly behavior: What are the rules of the daycare center regarding punishment? What ages and what ways does the center try to correct behavior? What are the daycare centers grounds for termination? What are the guidelines established when talking to parents about problems.

These are the fundamentals of a day care parent handbook. Remember that all concerns should be addressed in this handbook; it is there to help the parent and the daycare center and especially to protect the safety of the child.

Christine Groth, author and mentor of Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course. Receive her free 6 part newsletter on how to start your own daycare at http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com

If you wish to share this article please keep all links in tact. You can contact the author at christine@instantdaycareprofits.com

2006-09-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

"Are You Ready to Start Your Own Daycare?"

Starting a business is one thing, but making it profitable is another matter. We know that a successful business is the result of careful planning and understanding the basic concepts of business.

Your personality is the key concept of determining what kind of business you will get involved with. Obviously you must love children or you wouldn’t want to start your own daycare center.
For you to be profitable and successful you must love what you do.

There are 5 important traits to keep in mind when evaluating yourself. Remember the importance of these traits because they will allow you to become successful in your home daycare.

• Self-Motivation • Patience • Decisiveness • Perseverance • Drive

Self-Motivation is one of the most important criteria for successful entrepreneurs. This is what gets you going and then keeps you going.

Everyone, including myself, struggles with motivation especially when you work at home. It’s easy to get distracted and off track. Make sure you keep a list of things to do for the day and stick to it.

Wanting success is what makes the difference.

Visualize your daycare in your brain and realize that you are going to have to work for it. If you believe in your heart that you will be successful, then you will. Be patient and realize that you may need to wait for your business to make money and mature.

Self-motivation is also what helps you overcome the fears and doubts that you may have. D-O-U-B-T is a dirty word.

Realize that, D-O-U-B-T will destroy the business that you have dreamed about. Don’t stop believing in yourself! Turn off the negative tapes playing inside your brain.

We all have moments where we wish we could give up our businesses and get a job slinging hamburgers at McDonald’s. It would be a life of no responsibility. But, in reality, I would hate working for anyone else, and would especially despise the idea of making so little money.
Patience is my biggest hurtle I will admit to all of you. I want everything done yesterday and I want to see the reward right now.

I’ll admit it, I’m a part of the Pepsi Generation. I want it now – and make it cold too.

Sorry but in business it’s just not that way, so I’ve learned. Sometimes you feel like the roof is caving in and things just aren’t working out in your direction. Please remember the phrase, “this too shall pass”. There is also another saying, “most people pull out of business before it has time to mature”. So be sure to give yourself a chance and don’t blow it before it’s even begun.

Decisiveness is the concept of making decisions in a relatively quick and efficient manner. Some people have a big problem with this. I call it “you can’t think yourself out of a paper bag syndrome.” People with this affliction drive me crazy. You ask them a question and they say, “Well… (pause… pause…) I’m not really sure.”

Hello! The lights are on but no one is home.

In small business you need to make decisions pretty quickly. If a parent asks, can I bring my child to daycare if she’s running a temperature of 100 degrees? Your reply must be, “No, we wish to keep our daycare healthy and not spread illness.” Not, “Well…(pause… pause…) I’ll call you back later and let you know.”

When dealing with the public I unfortunately believe that people will sometimes try to get away with things. They want their way and will try to make you cave in.

In running a successful business, I believe that perseverance is 90% and education is 10%. Many millionaires believe that they are not any more intelligent than others. But what they do have is perseverance and tenacity. What is tenacity? No matter what happens they don’t lose sight of what they want and what their goals are. Remember, no one can take away what’s in your mind except for you.

Making your dream come true can be a lonely task at times and that’s where perseverance comes in. You need to keep moving forward and have that dream in the back of your head.
Don’t give up on your dream, don’t give up on yourself.
One way to persevere is to network with other business owners who have the same concerns as you. Become a part of a group where you can discuss your concerns.

You must be determined in your goals and you will succeed. By outlining your business you will achieve your goals. Make a point to do one thing each day that moves you closer to your goal. With that in mind it won’t seem so overwhelming to start your own daycare.

Below you will find some points to keep in mind when starting up your daycare. They will allow you to constructively think about yourself. Remember we are all on this earth to learn and improve ourselves.
Please answer yes or no to each topic, then go back and think about how you can improve these areas.

• Goal Orientated: I set my sights on goals and will work hard to achieve them. ________
• Friendly: I enjoy working with people and believe that my services can enhance their lives. _______
• Independent: I can work independently without anyone telling me what to do. I can make the correct decisions on my own. ________
• Efficient: I value my time and work efficiently and diligently. ________
• Tolerance: I work well under stress and understand that circumstances are temporary. _________
• Hard Working: I’m not afraid of working hard, even if I don’t see the fruits of my work immediately. _______
• Well Balanced: I understand that I need to care for myself physically and mentally so that I can perform at my peak. __________
• Positive Attitude: I believe that I have a positive attitude. ________
• Networking: There is an understanding that networking with other organizations promotes professional support. ________
(c) CG Groth
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6- Weeks to Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course Teaches You How You Can Make Over $90,000 Per Year Running Your Own Daycare. Go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com to receive your free 6 part newsletter on how to start your own daycare.
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Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software

2006-09-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Pro-Care Daycare Accounting Software is a very useful software program primarily used in daycare centers. It has numerous functions that enable the owner or director of a daycare to be more efficient and organized when running their business.

I have personally used the Pro-Care day care accounting software package and have loved it. It’s so easy to use especially for those of us who don’t exactly have the greatest computer skills. I found it really beneficial when dealing with large amounts of children and families, it make my life so much easier.

With that in mind, I will discuss some of the functions regarding Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software. It has some really neat functions that can really organize your life.

Family Data- This is an area where all your information is organized regarding children and families. It contains personal information, and immunizations. It’s really a personal phonebook for your day care center.

Family Accounting- This is where you organize and keep track of all your tuition charges and payments, co pays. You are able to record bills for parents and generate receipts.

Attendance Tracker- Now this is my favorite part. With some many children coming in and out of your childcare it was often hard to keep accurate attendance records. Someone was always forgetting to write down what time a child arrived. The attendance tracker comes with a Pro-Care Time Clock. This time clock is placed in an area where parents can log in their child’s name. This information is then transmitted to your computer and records the child’s entry and departure. Very neat function, it made my life a whole lot easier.

Employee Data and Payroll- The above mentioned Pro-Care time clock also works great for employees. The same idea relates to employees. When they arrive for work they punch in their code and they are automatically ready to start. Wondering about how to calculate paychecks? Well, Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software has made that really easy too. Pro-Care has a quick calculate software feature that easily figures out taxes taken out of payroll. Again, Pro-Care is trying to make everything very easy on the business owner.

Those are a couple of key features with Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software. I think it’s a great product and certainly has achieved its idea of making the day care providers life much easier.

Blessings,
Christine Groth
Christine@instantdaycareprofit.com

Feel free to pass this information provided all links remain intact.

© CG Groth Inc.
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$90,000 per year running your own daycare? Find out what you don’t know about starting your own daycare at www.instantdaycareprofits.com
Christine Groth author, mentor, of 6-weeks-Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course.
Get a free 6-part newsletter on how to start a daycare. Go to www.instantdaycareprofits.com
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Pro-Care Day Care Accounting Software

2006-09-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

Why Starting Up a Daycare is The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread!
by Christine Groth

Who ever thought you could stay home and make $90,241 a year from the comfort of your own home.

Just think about this for a minute….

Get up in the morning invite 7-8 kids to your house Monday thru Friday, have fun, teach pre-school activities, read books, eat lunch, take a nap, play little more, go home.

That’s about what the day involves, but you need to think further. You are a business owner now, which means you can write off items on your tax return. How about things like furniture, cars, or utility bills? These are items you need anyways regardless of any business or job you might have.

Pretty cool, right?

Another thing to remember is all the personal work you can get done in your home while running your daycare. I always found naptime to be very productive.

So while your kids are sleeping, you can be getting your chores done by folding laundry, making dinner, phone calls paperwork, etc. State agency rules state that you need to be within hearing and sight of your children. So why not get a little of your work done while they sleep?

But remember you cannot do your chores while children are awake and present. This would qualify as poor child care practices.

I just wanted to give you some pointers as someone who’s been there!

Working at Home While Raising Your Children

I started my daycare when my twin daughters were both 1 years old. It was great because Alex and Caroline loved having other kids over to play.

The two “momma’s girls” got out of my hair and became preoccupied with their friends who came over to our house. To them, it was just one big party. I still remember the day when a family of 2 boys came over and my daughters played. Their favorite thing was to run around the living room with a gigantic yellow blanket over their heads.

In essence, the whole thing worked out pretty well. I made money, my daughters had fun, I supplied a great service, and at the end of the day, the laundry was folded and there was food on the table.

The Low Cost of Starting Up a Daycare

It cost me very little to start my daycare. Most of the toys were my daughters’ or gifted to us by friends. We alway's kept all items that were gifted to us, even though toys were outgrown by my daughters.

I also began frequenting my local Goodwill store. I bought a lot of almost new toys, books, games, puzzles for next to nothing. I also shopped rummage sales. It also helps to ask parents for a donation of toys or items they are not using in their home. You’ll be surprised by how many Christmas gifts never make it out of their boxes! Tell your parents that you would love to use these items and put them to use.

Christine Groth
christine@instantdaycareprofits.com

(c) CG Groth

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Looking for the proof in the pudding that I really made that kind of money at daycare? Go to www.instantdaycareprofits.com. Get my free 6 part newsletter which tells you how to start up a daycare.
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Starting Up a Daycare- www.instantdaycareprofits.com

2006-09-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Questions to Ask a Day Care

A lot of you out there are really wondering what kind of “educated” questions you should be asking when choosing the right daycare for your child. It’s probably one of the most important decisions you will make, making the wrong choice for your child could amount to a inconvenience or a life threatening disaster.

There are many questions to ask a daycare, and over the years I’ve met all kinds of mothers . Some of which are very organized in their search and others who are not sure of what they want. I’m here today to help you make some choices and hopefully give you a better understanding of what the child care profession is all about.

First of all, you need to decide whether you wish to attend a family childcare or a group childcare. Each type of daycare has it’s own set-up and arrangements. Here’s a brief summary:

· Family child care normally has one caregiver who is the owner of the childcare. There is no teacher turnover, and the environment tends to be small with a variety of ages present together in one environment. A family childcare center is usually out of the providers home. Sometimes in a basement, or separate room in their house, or perhaps the second level in a home.

· Each family daycare has its own set of rules, and regulations. When choosing a provider be sure to understand what his/her policies are.

· When choosing a family daycare, your relationship (based on trust) is primarily with one provider.

· Sickness is usually less than at group childcares. Less children=less sickness.

· Group centers have all children separated according to age. For example all babies are in one room, toddlers in another, etc.

· Group centers tend to have a professional environment. Bright lighening, commercial equipment. Family daycare’s are based in a home like environment.

· Group centers may or may not have large enrollements. Some group centers are small with 20 or more children and others may have enrollment of 250 children.

· Group centers may or may not have consistant providers. Depending on age groups, staffing issues, etc.

· Group centers are directed by “directors”. The director staffs all rooms, is supervisor for the teachers, and oversees all problems that may arise.

· Groups centers can involve well known corportations. Kindercare, Children’s World, La Petite, to name a few.

Those are just a few distinctions between the two types of choices you may have. It’s up to you to decide which one you feel most comfortable with. Once you decide, then you can go from there in choosing the right group center or family day care.

Here are some questions to ask a daycare:

1. For each childcare that you visit be sure to bring a pad of paper and pencil to write down your notes, questions, feelings.

2. When looking for a childcare centers to visit, ask for recommendations from your friends, call your local resource and referral agency ( number located under childcare in phone book), listings in your newspaper, phone book, bulletin boards in your community, local schools.

3. Don’t base your thoughts about a childcare over a phone conversation. Give the center a chance by visiting them and meeting those who work there.

4. Collect all information regarding policies for a center. Make sure you are aware of all rules, and regulations.

5. Rely on your gut feeling. If you feel that you would not be happy, chances are your relationship would not work out in the long run.

6. Check any reports that are posted from the licensing bureau. Find out what infractions the center has received.

7. What are their emergency polices?

8. Do children look happy? Is the environment clean? It’s ok to have toys laying around, but are those toys sanitized each week to prevent sickness.

9. Who will be taking care of your child? And what happens if that person becomes ill?

10. What if my child become’s ill? What is your policy?

11. What type’s of accidents have you had where you have had to call the parent?

12. How many years have you been in childcare? Are you licensed? What is your education? What types of classes have you taken for child care in the past year? Are you CPR certified?

13. How long have your current children been enrolled here?

14. Do you provide references from parents?

15. And most of all do you trust that provider? Do you feel that the provider is loving, level headed, energetic, and generally loves all children?

16. Do you see children’s art work on the walls?

Most of all take your time making a decision, and don’t base your decision on price, fancy equipment, and convenience.

Your choice should be based on finding a provider who especially loves children.

Blessings To You,

Christine Groth
Christine@instantdaycareprofits.com

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$90,000 per year running your own daycare? Find out what you don’t know about starting your
own daycare at www.instantdaycareprofits.com
Christine Groth author, mentor, of 6-weeks-Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course.
Get a free 6-part newsletter on how to start a daycare. Go to www.instantdaycareprofits.com
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(c) CG Groth

2006-09-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

Mompreneurs Unite- Super Mom, Super Business Women, Super Bread Earner

I again everyone ! In today’s message I’d like to tell you a little bit more about myself, I think that the internet can be such a in-personal place, so it’s time to loosen up a bit.

Let’s start out with one of my favorite definitions.

The definition of a mompreneur is a mom who is an entrepreneur. This I think personally is a huge subject to cover with many facets, but today I concentrate on what mom’s can do to make you guessed it serious money.

I have been an entrepreneur working from my home since my twin daughters were born, 9 years ago. I have a complete advocate of mom’s staying home with their kids. The absolute funny thing though is that I run a daycare. No I’m not a hypocrite, but I do realize unfortunately some parents do not want to stay home, and others feel that they just can’t afford it. It’s all a matter of priorities.

Being a mompreneur in my opinion is a wonderful, inspiring, challenging experience. Never can I say that I’ve been bored and restricted. I must mention though I think it is extremely important to have the support of your spouse. Honestly, being a mompreneur has its battles, sometimes you’re making money and sometimes your not.

Being a mompreneur I’ve found to be completely rewarding. My first years were obviously the least financially rewarding. Today life is great, but one thing you will learn about me is I don’t put all my eggs in one basket. Last I heard, my husband has a tally of 7 federal tax payment books. That means 7 corporations I run out of my house.

So you may be wondering, what are you doing? What seven corporations? For this I will give you some ideas to do research on.

1. Start your own home based business: You need to look at yourself and determine what are you good at, what is the market in your area? Is there a demand for something that no one is doing? What is the arrangement of your home? What hobbies do you have that can generate money? Some ideas may include:

Children’s Daycare Business ( http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com) Elderly Care, Computer Consulting, Music Lessons, Cleaning, and Wallpaper Hanger. Basically any type of service people demand.

2. Real Estate: Keep an eye out for properties in your neiborhood that go up for sale. With these homes you should know exactly what a good deal is and what isn’t. Look for homes that look ugly, but really only need some TLC. A women’s touch and dramatically change the appearance of a home and make it look so much more appealing. Regularly check on the internet for listings. I never get involved with home’s that have outdated electrical plumbing, roofs, etc. I’m looking for something that I can purchase in fall-winter-early spring when Wisconsin looks really ugly, and cold. During summer and Fall I sell.

3. Make Money Blogging: Anyone can sign up for a blog on www.blogger.com. With this powerful tool in mind you can publish, sell, do what ever you want. Get it?

Find yourself a mentor, and get a lot of information: What ever your business ventures maybe, find a mentor who will answer all your mompreneur questions. You will have a lot of questions.

4. Become an affiliate: An affiliate basically is this; you put up the information on your website or blog advocating a company or product. When that person buys that product from your website you get paid a commission. One resource you can use for affiliate information to sell is www.clickbank.com

5. Surf message boards and ezines looking for telecommuting jobs: Many of you can work at home wearing your pajamas. I must confess I'm wearing mine now.
A lot of corporations are looking for people to help them out, and do see listings on ezines quit regularly.

There are a lot of opportunities out there for mompreneur’s. Most importantly you need to keep your eyes and ears open and keep surfing the net. Most of the information I found is just by accident.

I hope you all enjoyed this information and I plan on continuing with the mompreneur theme. There is so much more to being a mompreneur that needs to be discussed.

Blessings to You,

Christine Groth

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Get my free 6 part newsletter on starting your own daycare. Find out how you can make over $90,000 per year in your own home. Christine Groth, mentor, author of 6-weeks to Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course. Go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com
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2006-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Starting A Daycare-The Five Little Known Facts
By Christine Groth

www.instantdaycareprofits.com

If you were going to ask your friends, “could you make a living
at starting a daycare out of your home?” What do you think they
would say?

Chances are they would say no way, but I’m here to tell you
different. In fact I’m here to educate you as to the vast amount
of potential that lies within this small business. I’ve always
been a believer in doing the opposite as everyone else. When
you zag I zig.

I’ve talked to a lot of people out there, some who stay home
and make no money and others who desperately want to
stay home and create some type resemblance of order in their life.

Daycare business is a serious business, it’s not babysitting or
taking care of a couple of kids here and there. It’s about running
a profitable small business that provides a viable income.

Below you will discover interesting fact’s regarding childcare.

Fact #1
It Really Takes No Money To Start Up This Business
I think this has to be one of the few businesses out there that
you can start up for next to nothing. Just think about this for
a minute, maybe you have children’s items lying around in your
basement that no one is using. The funny thing is most daycares
utilize the items that around 90% of most households. This would
include, couches, small tables, sleeping bags, and of course T.V
sets. And in case you don’t have any toy’s and books, you can
always visit the local library and area rummage sales.

Fact #2
Almost Everything is Tax Deductible
Just about everything you use in your house is tax deductible
and I mean just about everything!
You can also think about tax deductible purchases such as that
new couch you bought this year that children sit on, or how about
your cell phone bill that parents call you up on. If a household
expense can some how relate to your childcare business, than you
can write it off.

Fact #3
How Much Money Do DayCare’s Really Make?
Here’s the real surprise, are you sitting? I made over $90,000
in my daycare last year. Not to shabby, why do you think we
hate being called babysitters? When was the last time
you met a babysitter that made that kind of money?.

Fact #4
Who Is Doing All The Work In The Daycare?
A lot of family daycares employ assistants who help out with
Daycare children. While the assistants are working you are doing
more important things. Perhaps, caring for your own children,
making money at other things, or out just plain out having fun.
I work at my daycare perhaps 5 hours per week which gives
me lot’s of time to pursue other adventures.

Fact #5
You Can Start Your Business Today, and Collect Cash Tomorrow
That really the reality of it all, it’s easy to find children to enroll
as well. Tell your friends, visit your area schools and churches.
Everyone is looking for good childcare and particularly someone
they can trust. Why not you?

As you can see, day care is a real business. A lot of people out
there are successful and really, are making a lot of money.

Blessings to All,

Christine Groth

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Are you looking for the proof that I really make that kind of money?
Would you like to meet some successful daycare owners? Find out more
about opening your own day care. Christine Groth, mentor, author of
6-weeks Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course.
Go to ===è http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com/
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Starting a Daycare-The Five Little Known Facts
© CG Groth Inc.
All rights reserved.

2006-06-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

The Many Forms of Parent Involvement

By Roger Neugebauer

Exchange recently surveyed members of the Exchange Panel of 300 for their ideas on how they involve parents in their programs. Here are a few of their responses:

Pam Tuszynski, First Presbyterian Church Preschool, Hollywood, California: Since we have listening centers in three of our four classrooms, we ask parents to dictate stories on tape. Then we put it in their child's classroom. It is a very special way for parents, who do not have a lot of time to do other volunteering things, to do something unique for the school. The children love to listen to their parents' tapes.

Marie Darstein, The Sunshine House, Rock Hill, South Carolina: It is critical that parents understand the importance of learning through play. We conduct a mock class with parents where half of them learn about kiwis with a field trip (to the tree in the hall): smelling, feeling, tasting kiwis. They also discuss how they can use kiwis in other areas of learning (if they were really in a class). The other half of the parents learn about kiwis with a coloring sheet and a brown and green crayon — ugh. It doesn't take long for them to understand the benefits of learning by doing and having fun at the same time.

Vicky Smith, BCIU Child Care, Reading, Pennsylvania: Once a year we have parent recognition at each of our child care centers. Staff provide coffee and cookies for parents in the morning when they drop their children off.

Carolyn Barnes, Gateway Christian Preschool, Pensacola, Florida: Each year we have a school wide Thanksgiving Play and Feast. We feed 550 people over two days. We have parents volunteer to help prepare for and cook the foods for the feast. It is a great family time with parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and neighbors, enjoying a time together.

Judy Chosy, Smoky Row Children's Center, Powell, Ohio: We invite parents to nominate staff for going "beyond the call of duty." The parent writes something positive about the teacher, and at the beginning of staff meeting it is read in front of the staff. This public and specific recognition is a great way to involve parents in boosting staff morale. If the budget allows, the center might reward the staff with something tangible like a gift certificate for movie tickets.

Kathy Sarginson, ABCs of Children's Care and Education, Foxboro, Ontario, Canada: I believe that from the first day of contact the personal daily conversations with parents creates the most positive partnership. In my experience with over 23 years as an owner of two centres, every parent talks not about the activities we did, but the time I took for each family. Through these conversations our team of educators gained daily insight into the family parenting style and the trials and tribulations they were facing each day. It allowed us to lend an ear or offer advice — in turn they learned how we treasured their children. To this day when I meet former clients we share these memories.

Jerri Helmreich, Malone College Child Development Center, Canton, Ohio: We have a parent library in our "Gathering Room." We ask that if parents have a comment or review of a book they have borrowed and read, that they share that with us in writing. We post those comments around the book shelves.

Elizabeth Shephard, Ready-Set-Grow, Inc., Auburn, Michigan: We create a float for our city's annual festival parade and invite parents to join their children and our staff in the event. Some parents ride the float, some walk alongside passing out leaflets about our center, some push babies in strollers or roller blade along the route. Everyone who participates gets a t-shirt with our logo that they wear for the parade then get to keep. It provides a family activity, gets our center out in the public eye, and advertises for our center every time the children or parents wear the t-shirt later.

Sarah Horn, Allegheny Child Care Academy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: We celebrate when parents reach personal milestones such as finishing a course toward their GED, graduating from a training class, or getting a job.

MaryLou Beaver, Dover Children's Center, Dover, New Hampshire: We have a fundraising committee, a grounds and building committee, and a feed-the-teachers committee (parent ideas and exchange information group). They meet once every couple of months, or more often if needed, and we always make sure to have food and a craft project. These committees help us get the other parents involved. We have bi-monthly potluck suppers with entertainment, sometimes for the whole family, other times for the kids, so we can have parent-staff time.

Beverlyn Cain, ECSU Laboratory School, Elizabeth, North Carolina: We involve parents in a number of ways. For example, one parent provided a fall lunch for children. She decorated and used children's artwork. Another parent (who is an artist) came in to work with the children using paints. He wore his painter's apron. A parent from the Caribbean shared island music and movement with the children.

Lori Harris, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Child Care Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire: Since we are on-site at the medical center, classrooms walk over to the cafeteria to have lunch with their parents. We do a "Friday night date night" every month for parents, where they can leave their child with our staff and go out with each other. Each classroom does a dinner each year where the children make all the food and then we invite the parents for dinner.

Gay Macdonald, UCLA Early Care and Education, Los Angeles, California: Some of our ideas: Tracking and reporting to parents on participation hours, providing entertainment (themselves or contacting others) for family events — e.g., taiko drummers were solicited to perform and show children some of the drumming techniques.

Dr. Raina Jain, Witty Kids, Mumbai, India: We organize seminars by eminent pediatricians, various doctors visits, a movie show for the entire family, various celebrations — Grandparents Day, Mothers Day, Teachers Week celebration, etc.

Barbara Lynn, Community Preschool Kindergarten, Jacksonville, Florida: At the beginning of each school year, parents have an opportunity to tell us how they would like to volunteer. We have a "Stay-and-visit" morning when parents remain during centers and first circle. During that time a volunteer sign-up sheet is available with needs on it and a section that says, "You didn't ask, but I'd like to . . . " We've had some wonderful offers of help we would never have thought to ask about. It gives an opportunity for parents (and grandparents) to share their talents and passions with us.

Marian Schlachter, Blauvelt, New York: We have a lending library in the office with books and some toys available for borrowing. This is very informal but catches the child's eye and with the parent's permission they may borrow a book or toy to bring back when finished.

Linda Zager, Bloomington Developmental Learning Center, Bloomington, Indiana: We ask parents to come in and read a story or write down a child's story; share your interests with their child's class; help with jobs around the center; lead a center-wide "round table" about topics that parents want to talk about; help with the book fair and with social events.

Velynda Cameron, Ozarks Technical Community College, Ozark, Missouri: Allowing parents to assist with center laundry (take it home), grocery shopping, sewing for the center (from home), gathering/preparing art materials for the classroom and assisting the center cook.

Suzanne Martin, Kids Life Academy, Cordova, Tennessee: One of our teachers involves parents by having them make play dough and other materials at home. It allows them to be involved without being at school. We also involve our parents by providing all of them with detailed "All about My Day" reports every day.

2006-06-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the Good Lice: Managing Crisises

By Pauline Davey ZeeceGo

The first time I ever saw lice hopping from curl to curl on a small child's head was over 15 years ago. The critters were so small and quick (the lice that is) that I had to blink twice before I could process what I was seeing. And when the realization finally struck me, I felt compelled to shift my weight, to scratch my scalp . . . and quite honestly to exit quickly.

To make matters worse, one of the other teachers who had also never seen lice but who believed that "such things only inflicted impoverished people" had systematically checked the heads of 22 children with the same comb. By the end of the week, the school was involved in a lice crisis of major proportions.

Teachers, staff, children, and families had been afflicted and the local pharmacist had become wealthy. I am pleased to report that the out-break claimed no long term casualties; everyone did survive. In sub-sequent times and other places amidst a lice event, I have been more able to act effectively. I now am actually beginning to control my head scratching. You might say that I am learning from lice, or at least from their presence in early childhood programs.

With this in mind, how can administrators learn to manage this and other crises constructively and to use these as opportunities for learning?

Best Kept Crisis Secrets

• Crises happen

Crises are a predictable part of life, and therefore a predictable part of child care programming.

Quality programming is not necessarily characterized by absence of crisis, instead it is identified by presence of effective crisis management. Accepting that crises will and do occur is the first step in dealing with them well. Another important part of crisis management is understanding how crisis happens - this can be accomplished by actually charting crisis events.

In doing this, a director can develop a crisis pattern or profile for a program. Such a profile typically consists of five W's: what, when, where, who, and why. What. Understanding the what of a crisis can be deceptively simple. This is particularly true when crisis is interpersonal rather than programmatic in nature. A cook who walks off the job 30 minutes before lunch or a child with a broken finger is a clearly recognizable crisis. But a group of parents who collectively decide not to support a teacher or a staff person who burns out is less specifically pinpointed.

Really understanding what happens in a crisis entails separating facts from interpretation. For example, "The cook left the building at 11:30 am today and said she was never coming back" is a fact. "The cook stomped out of the kitchen and quit because she was angry at everyone" is an interpretation. Both bits of information are useful, but in different ways. Collecting facts over time about programmatic crises enables a director to chart events and sometimes to predict and head off disaster before it strikes.

Interpersonal crises may be less easily charted. These may need to be monitored by attending closely to the interpretation of a fact or a collection of facts surrounding a crisis. For example, the fact that "Marba hasn't smiled or spoken to anyone in the center for a week" may be less critical information in dealing with an interpersonal crisis than the interpretation that "Marba is burning out and has appeared depressed and withdrawn for some time."

Most times, crises are handled best when accurate facts and interpretation are considered.

When. It should not come as a surprise to learn that more accidents involving young children occur when adults and/or children are tired, hungry, bored, or under undue stress. When you think about it, this includes just about everything that happens to adults and children in a child care setting but sleep.

And anyone who has spent time in a naproom can testify that this too can be a hazard area. Crises then are affected by timing. Right before lunch and nap and late afternoon are prime times for children to get hurt. And hurt children precipitate crises of all sorts. Charting when crises occur in a program can help a director identify critical periods. Adults can also have identifiable "down times" in child care settings. It would be helpful to learn what contributes to these times in your program.

Take a few minutes to jot down the last five crises with which you have dealt. When did these occur? Do you see a pattern? Were these adult or child crises (or both)? What can you learn from understanding the timing of these events? Where. As children and adults learn to live and work with each other in a child care setting, they construct cognitive maps about how the space around them is to be used. What this means for young children is that they develop ideas about where things should happen - this is where I play blocks, this is where I sleep when it is naptime, this is where I run.

Crisis looms when there are unclear messages about space usage or when people live and work together for long hours each day in an overcrowded child care setting. Without clear boundaries, both children and adults are more apt to experience difficulties.

In the lab school we have a wonderful patch of mature pine trees which children call the "forest." When weather permits, teachers will often take tents and camp in this forest with children. A minor crisis evolved with the grounds department when the shrubbery around the camping area began to die . . . it appears some children were taking a rustic approach to toileting. Obviously, the cognitive map for camping at school and at home had not been clearly drawn. On a more serious note, where may also contribute to interpersonal crises.

Where do you speak with staff or parents when there is a problem? Is it always in the same place? What else happens there? Do you ask staff to trust and share openly in this same place? Is it on your turf or theirs? Or, better still, is it ever in a neutral location?

The last two W's (who and why) fall under the next secret about crisis. • Blame doesn't work.

Who.

Blame for the sake of blame builds neither individual character nor strong early childhood programs. Equally important, it has never been demonstrated that self-flogging clears the mind or sharpens the skills of a child care administrator. Thus, the importance of under-standing who rests in the power of unraveling the roles everyone plays during a crisis.

The work of child care is a collaborative effort; nothing happens in a vacuum. The good and bad, out. But equally useful to understand would be how every person, as well as the demands of the cook's job itself, contributed to an unmanageable situation for one person. Charting the who of crises in a program allows an administrator to see a different kind of worker profile.

Over time it can be determined if one or two workers are always in the eye of the storm or if others are always the ones to calm the waters and pick up the pieces. Both groups of people need support in different ways. As your profile begins to develop, look to see where you fit. What role do you typically play during crisis? How would workers categorize you if they were developing their own profile? Why. Asking why in the heat of a crisis is like demanding that a three year old explain why she stuck a grape up her nose. In both instances, why usually does little to solve the immediate situation or to shed light on a long term solution.

Thus, why is best asked after the passion of the moment has subsided and after all the other W's have been processed. This is so because why is the interaction among the who, when, where, and what of a crisis. When management of crisis is approached in this way, the why of a difficult situation may actually be understood before anyone even poses the question. Understanding the why of a crisis also allows directors to polish their own panic and increase their own effectiveness in dealing with crisis.

This occurs when directors:
take time to understand the role model they set within a program and to learn how their response matches those of others; set time for regular "crisis drills" to discuss the merits of solving hypothetical crises in a variety of ways; and recognize and reward effective crisis resolution in an ongoing way within their programs.

But this is not to say that every crisis can be accurately anticipated, perfectly dissected, or even clearly understood. There are things that happen in day-to-day life that cannot always be explained; there are also circumstances over which an administrator may have little or no con-trol. Thus, like all of the other W's, why is only one of many tools to be used to better manage crisis.

• Not all crises are bad.

The last best kept secret is that crisis is not always bad. Granted when children or adults get hurt, when people lose self-respect or self-esteem, when resources or circumstances dictate impossible decisions where no one feels good about the outcome, crisis injures a program.

But in other instances, it may actually be instructive or even healthy. Through effective crisis management, one can come to the understanding that all crises are potential opportunities for learning. As such, directors learn to assign and/or accept responsibility for error without condemning themselves or others and without giving up. They learn to put each crisis on a continuum and to ask themselves: "What is the importance and the consequence of this action today, tomorrow, next month, next year?" And, finally, directors can learn to evaluate the full spectrum of crisis effects. When crisis damages beyond repair, it brings a special kind of challenge to an administrator. When crisis discourages, it is, at best, cumbersome. When crisis devastates people or programs, it is destructive.

But when crisis fosters close inspection of philosophy, policy, or practice, it is useful. When crisis requires collective ownership of a mutual problem and mandates collaborative solution, it is powerful. When crisis butts heads with apathy and paves the way for meaningful and effective change, it is worth the effort it engenders. Crises can be crippling if they are not taken seriously. But competent administrators learn to monitor the pulse of a program so as to best understand the magnitude of a crisis and its fall out. Effective managers then are able to use crisis to learn and to make their programs better and stronger and less vulnerable the next time around.

References Hoff, B. The Tao of Pooh. New York: Penguin Books, 1982. Jackson, H. Friendly Advice. New York: Dutton, 1990 Lynch, D., and Kordis, P. Strategy of the Dolphin: Scoring a Win in a Chaotic World. New York: Ballentine Books, 1988.

Pauline Davey Zeece is director of the Child Development Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and the Family.

2006-06-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Making Sense of Germ Control

By Susan S. Aronson

Infectious diseases can cost many days of fun and learning for children and adults. Some, but not all illness, is inevitable. You can do a lot of prevention yourself. You also need an arrangement with a health professional to observe your practices from time to time, and advise your program about how to prevent and manage infectious disease. Start by practicing easy routines to keep everyone healthier, without becoming germ-phobic. Good reference materials can help you to plan and implement preventive policies and procedures. Some references are particularly useful to look up what you need to know when there is a problem.

Health professional advice

Directors should arrange for routine ongoing health consultation from a skilled public or private health professional. Expect that the health consultant will visit the facility at least quarterly (monthly if infants and toddlers are in care) to observe health and safety practices and provide routine advice on health and safety issues. Research done by the University of North Carolina School of Public Health found that having regular visits and a trusted relationship with a skilled child care health consultant is effective in reducing illness, absence for illness, and the need for costly medical care for children and staff (Kotch, 2004). Getting help in an urgent situation will be easier and more useful if such a relationship is in place as well.

Studies done in Pennsylvania and California confirm many of these findings and show that early educators highly value their health consultants once they have them (Aronson & Fiene, 1993; Alkon, Sokal-Guitierrez & Wolff, 2002; Crowley, 1990, 1997; Dellert, 22004). Evidence of the effectiveness of health consultation visits led the National Association for the Education of Young Children to adopt a criterion for routine visits by health consultants in the accreditation standards implemented in 2006 (NAEYC).

Training, for assuming the role for child care health consultant or using one, is available both in-person and via distance learning. Every state has trainers of child care health consultants who are graduates of the National Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in Chapel Hill. Also, directors and health professionals can use a DVD called "Health and Safety Consultation in Child Care" as a distance learning program that provides continuing education credit from the University of Pittsburgh. The DVD can be ordered from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatrics at www.ecels-healthychildcarepa.org or www.aap.org.

How can early educators keep children healthy?

Collaboration among parents, educators, and health professionals is the key to keeping children healthy. Everyone should have a source of health care that is as close to the ideal of a "medical home" as possible. A medical home is an accessible, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, culturally competent, and family-centered source of health care. An ideal medical home sends reminders to families whose children are due for routine preventive care services.

Unfortunately, many constraints keep health care providers from becoming the ideal medical home. Few have any financial incentive to provide the recall and reminder notices that many dentists and veterinarians now use. Even when informed by their health providers, many families do not view the complex schedules and frequent visits for preventive health care as a priority. Children may receive vaccines at sick-care visits and never come back for their check-ups. Some can't cooperate with certain screening tests during a particular office visit and then don't return to fill that gap.

For many families, obtaining recommended preventive health services for their children becomes a priority only when educators insist that parents provide evidence of their children's up-to-date immunizations and screening tests as a condition of their children's participation in the education program.

Using nationally recommended schedules for preventive health services is difficult for everyone. Checking health records by hand is tedious and very time-consuming. The types of services and intervals between services change from one age group to another. Very young children need frequent updates and many doses of vaccine.

A child who is up-to-date at the beginning of a program year can become overdue for services a month or two later. All states require documentation of up-to-date immunization, but only some require evidence that required screening tests were provided.

To help reduce the burden of health record review for providers of early education and child care, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PA AAP) developed a service that centers can use on the Internet. This Internet Application is called WellCareTracker™. Subscribers to the service receive a secure, password-protected Internet location to enter, analyze and retrieve reports for data that the staff enter from child health records. No special computer, operating system, or software is needed. It works with any computer with a connection to the Internet.

The software evaluates the dates of service entered for individual children, then prints out a list of which services are up-to-date, which are due now, which are overdue, and which will be overdue in 3 months. Few users need to use the help desk to get started. Users enter their secure password to access the data for their center(s). They can print out an updated report at any time, to see what one or a group of children need as of the print date. Then, center staff can give an individual report to parents to bring to the child's medical home.

With the clearly printed list, the health professional can fill gaps in documented services. Subscription fees for this service are low, set at a rate that covers the cost to the PA AAP for maintaining the service. For more information, go to www.wellcaretracker.org.

Another way to keep children healthy is to be sure that they have appropriate nutrition, rest, and exercise. Human milk has a unique composition that helps protect infants from illnesses. For infants, support breastfeeding of infants for at least the first year of life with two measures:
1) provide comfortable places for mothers to breastfeed at drop-off and pick-up, and 2) have storage and procedures to safely feed the mother's expressed human milk when the mother is not available to do direct feedings herself.

After infancy, encourage good nutrition by teaching children to "eat colors" — to get a healthy balance of foods. Many good sources of curriculum are available. For some new materials, check out Sesame Workshop. In 2005, this PBS pioneer launched a new program called "Healthy Habits for Life." Their multi-year initiative aims to help preschoolers and their caregivers live healthier lives. Working with coalition partners that include federal agencies, NAEYC, and The Ad Council, Sesame Workshop will distribute multi-media, developmentally appropriate content about how to keep healthy. For more about this program, visit www.sesameworkshop.org.

Daily exercise is essential. Exercising outdoors not only promotes strength-building, but also gives children a chance to breathe air that has a lower burden of germs than indoor air that is shared by many people. When the children are outside, open the windows and ventilate the indoor spaces. Fresh air dilutes the germs put into the air by so many people occupying the same air space. If active play occurs indoors, be sure these areas are especially well-ventilated. Remember that deep breathing of germ-laden indoor air during exercise can challenge body resistance to disease.

Every program needs plans for times when children and staff are too ill to participate comfortably, or have an illness that poses an increased risk to others. Many illnesses are most contagious before symptoms occur. Others continue to spread at high rates for a long time after people recover and no longer feel ill. Children who become ill during a weekend or vacation may not have exposed others at the program during the pre-symptom period. In that situation, staying home for a day or two more might reduce the spread of germs.

Pay special attention to children who have conditions or circumstances that make them prone to infectious illnesses. For example, some children are incompletely immunized or unimmunized because they are too young to have received all their vaccines, or their parents have not obtained the vaccines they need. Some children travel to countries where certain types of germs are more common. Some have family members who travel to such places. Some have contact with someone who has been in prison, or is a substance abuser. Work with public health authorities to manage these situations.

Reminders

• The frequency of infectious illness can be reduced.

• Having a health professional visit, observe program operations, and collaboratively plan with staff how to reduce the risk of infectious disease for everyone.

• With a few facility adjustments and some practice, easy routines keep everyone healthier, without becoming germ-phobic.

Which types of infections make children sick?

Close contact in child care facilitates the spread of many respiratory, gastrointestinal, systemic, and skin infections. The types of germs that cause these infections are the same as those that cause illness in children and adults in the community (Osterholm M, et al, 1992; Pickering & Osterholm, 1997). Viruses cause many infections. Bacteria, parasites, and fungi can make children sick, too. Young children's immature immune systems do not resist infection as well as when they have more experience.

So, infection spreads easily in group care settings. Also, children's behaviors contaminate the environment with body fluids and promote self-inoculation of body openings.

Viral respiratory infections are the most common cause of illness. Runny noses, coughs, and other cold symptoms are annoying. Usually, these symptoms go away in a week or two in otherwise healthy children. Common infections become less frequent as the child grows older. Each episode of illness builds the child's immunity to help resist the next encounter with that type of germ.

A few germs cause serious disease in some children. Some spread easily from one child to another because it takes so few germs to make someone sick. Infections spread by:

• direct contact with people or objects
• fecal-oral contamination (an infected person's feces contaminates something that transfers germs to other objects that bring the germs into someone's mouth)
• respiratory route (someone who is infected puts droplets that contain germs into the air that someone else inhales, or such droplets contaminate surfaces that are touched and brought into someone else's body)
• body fluid contamination (blood, urine, saliva)

Each of these routes of spread has characteristics that offer opportunities to control infection.

As shown in Figure 1 through Figure 3, the risk of upper respiratory infection and ear infections is higher for infants in group care compared with those cared for exclusively at home. This risk decreases as children grow older and spend more time in group care (Hurwitz, Gunn, Pinsk, & Schonberger, 1991; The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network, 2001; Ball, Holberg, Aldous, Martinez, & Wright, 2002). Attendance in center-based programs during preschool years seems to protect children against common upper respiratory infections through the elementary school years, presumably because of immunity acquired from early exposure to infectious disease agents.

The frequency of gastrointestinal illness is lower than for respiratory disease. The difference between group-participants and children cared for only by their parents is less than for respiratory disease also. Vomiting and diarrhea is somewhat elevated for infants in center-based arrangements and for preschool-age children who receive care in the homes of relatives.

Since infectious disease is common in all young children, every episode of childhood infection should not be blamed on group care participation. Noting the protective effect of early exposure in later childhood may comfort parents whose young children are in group care and have one infection after another.

Among three-year-old children who entered care as infants, fewer common respiratory infections occur than for their peers who were never in group care (Cordell, MacDonald, Solomon, Jackson, Boase, 1990; Cordell, Waterman, Chang, Saruwatari, Brown, Solomon; 1999; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network, 2003). Also, the incidence of chronic illness does not seem to be increased by child care participation from infancy. Neither allergic rhinitis nor asthma was found to be increased by group care participation in a birth cohort followed to 10 years of age (Nafstad, Brunekreef, Skrondal, & Nystad, 2005). Other factors play an unexplained role in infectious disease in child care settings, too. For example, children who use pacifiers in child care have an increased risk of acquiring ear infections compared with those who suck their thumbs (Niemela, Uhari, & Mottonen, 1995). Although the reason for this has not been explored, perhaps pacifiers that children carry around with them are washed less frequently than their hands.

How to make infection-control measures really work

Infectious disease experts talk about breaking the chain of infection — the links that bring germs to people through the places they occupy. Infection control occurs when fewer germs are around to challenge vulnerable people, when people have more resistance to the germs they encounter, and when places are managed to keep people from being exposed to more germs than they can resist. Each of these aspects deserves consideration by group care providers and those involved with group care settings. A health consultant can help by observing for risky practices, pointing out missed opportunities to reduce infectious illness, and reviewing written policies that the program uses to train staff and orient parents so they follow desired practices.

Providers can reduce the number of germs that are around by hand washing, washing and sanitizing contaminated surfaces, and by ventilating with fresh air. Small stable groups of children are less likely to bring new germs into the facility than constant turnover or intermixing of new children. Providers can teach and evaluate performance of staff on how and when to properly wash their hands and on the use of sanitary diaper changing techniques. Food storage and preparation routines should avoid contamination of food at every step, with safe food temperatures checked with thermometers in the refrigerator, in the freezer, and in the food about to be served.

Cleaning and sanitizing helps if practiced routinely. A chart that details what surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized and how often is available in several publications. The chart is on page 106 of Caring for Our Children, National Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out–of-Home Child Care (2nd edition), 2002, available at no cost, electronically, on the Internet at www.nrc.uchsc.edu.

Studies conducted in early education and child care programs show that staff training improves hand washing and environmental hygiene. Improving these practices substantially reduces the incidence of both respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. The effects are age-group specific. When compliance with staff and child hand washing was high, reduction in colds by 17% was observed only for children under 24 months of age, the group where such illness is most frequent.

For diarrhea, the effects were limited to children over 24 months of age. In this group, reduction of diarrhea episodes by two-thirds was observed in centers where compliance with child hand-washing was high (Roberts, Smith, Jorn, Patel, Douglas, McGilchrist, 2000; Roberts, Jorn, Patel, Smith, Douglas, McGilchrist, 2000). Of course most of the children under 24 months were being diapered, a process that requires more than hand-washing to avoid contaminating the environment.

Supervisors must ensure that these practices are taught and monitored continuously or they will be ignored. Everyone in child care should practice hand washing at each contact with a body fluid or a surface that is likely to be heavily contaminated, when moving from one child care group to another, and before food handling.

Liquid soap, running water, and dry skin lotion must be close at hand to make such frequent hand washing feasible. When plumbing costs make separate and accessible hand washing sinks impractical, sanitary portable sinks should be put into use.

Hand washing with soap and running water is best and necessary where there is any visible soil. Many early education providers have started to use alcohol-based hand rubs in situations where hand washing is difficult to ensure. These toxic and flammable products are effective only on visibly clean hands, and only when the product is applied in the amount and for the contact time recommended by the manufacturer.

When should sick children (and adults) stay home?

Illness associated with participation in group care settings is costly to families and staff. It also serves as a conduit of infection to family members and within the community. An infected child does not need to be excluded unless the child cannot participate in activities, requires care that exceeds caregiver resources, or the child's illness puts the other children at increased risk with continued exposure.

Since, for many infections, shedding of disease agents occurs before symptoms occur, removal of the symptomatic child who has already been in contact with others is fruitless. On the other hand, when children have infectious diarrhea, the contamination of the environment during diaper changing and from fecal accidents is overwhelming. For the purpose of decisions about exclusion from child care, infectious diarrhea is defined as more watery stools, decreased form of stool that is not associated with changes of diet, and increased frequency of passing stool.

Using this definition, Caring for Our Children requires exclusion of children with diarrhea that is not contained by an ability to use the toilet (American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care, 2002). All the specific exclusion criteria in Caring for Our Children are in the tables and fact sheets found in the AAP publication Managing Infections in Child Care and Schools.

Families need to have plans for the inevitability of their child's illness. Some communities have developed programs to care for ill children whose parents must work. Ill children benefit from familiar environments and well-established relationships for comfort and care. Arrangements that involve care by strangers in strange environments may add to the stress of illness. If used, special care arrangements for ill children should meet the ill child's physical and emotional needs.
How can staff and families stay healthy?

Many diseases that are transmitted in group care can infect others in the community, including caregivers, parents, and family members. The most important infections transmitted to adult contacts of children in group care are hepatitis A, cytomegalovirus, and parvovirus B19 (Reves & Pickering). Supervisors and co-workers need to be aware of signs of illness among the adults in the program. Dedicated adults tend to martyr themselves by working when they are ill — even though such a sacrifice may spread disease. Adults who care for children should be healthy enough to perform their duties well and have recommended preventive health care services for themselves (e.g., a yearly dose of influenza vaccine, oral health care that manages germs known to cause dental decay in adults and to spread these germs to children), and practice infection control to minimize exposing themselves and others to germs that cause illness.

Handy resources

The list of what should be on or immediately accessible to directors and staff includes books, a brochure, and some web sites.

Many directors have given rave reviews to the new Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide, a spiral-bound book from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2005). The book can be ordered from www.aap.org and www.naeyc.org. This is an easy-to-use and already very popular book. The first 29 pages are about how to prevent and manage infections. Pages 41 to page 129 are updated handouts for parents and staff about specific types of infections — with permission to make single copies for noncommercial, educational purposes. The last 24 pages include brief summaries on the role of the health consultant, immunizations, bioterrorism, followed by sample letters and forms, and a glossary of terms.

The primary reference for best health and safety practices in early education and child care is still Caring for Our Children, the National Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care (2002). This book and online reference contains 707 standards and recommendations, accompanied by the rationale for each. Health and safety experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association worked with representatives from the early education and regulatory communities to develop Caring for Our Children, with support from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The publication is available in hard copy from www.aap.org, www.naeyc.org, and www.apha.org, as well as in downloadable format on the web site of the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care http://nrc.uchsc.edu. On this web site, you'll also find subsets of the standards compiled for selected topics. One of these is "Exclusion and Inclusion of Ill Children in Child Care Facilities and Care of Ill Children."

The National Association for the Education of Young Children has good information about preventing and managing infectious disease in the manual Healthy Young Children, and the inexpensive brochure, Keeping Healthy. NAEYC also distributes Model Child Care Health Policies, where you'll find fill-in-the-blank policies on care of acutely ill children, giving medications, and sanitation and hygiene. Order these publications from www.naeyc.org.

Other helpful tools can be found on the Internet. You'll find up-to-date, free, and easy-to-read discussions, posters, and handouts with excellent graphics at www.globalhealthychildcare.org and www.healthykids.us. The web sites of the Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
(www.ecels-healthychildcarepa) and of the national American Academy of Pediatrics (www.healthychildcare.org) have many helpful materials about this topic, too.

References

Kotch, J. (January 29, 2004). Child Care Health Consultation: The Quality Enhancement Project for Infants and Toddlers (QEP) Evaluation. Presented at PIC.

Aronson, S. & Fiene, S. (1993). MCHB Final Report of The Early Childhood Health Promotion Project. ERIC.

Alkon, Sokal-Guitierrez, & Wolff. (2002). "Child care health consultation improves health knowledge and compliance." Pediatric Nursing, 28(1): 61-65.

Crowley. (1990; 1997). Presentations at the national meetings of Healthy Child Care America.

Dellert. (2004). "Children in Child Care: The Critical Years for Prevention and Health Promotion, Outcomes of Child Care Health Consultation Services for Child Care Providers in New Jersey." Presented at the national meeting of Healthy Child Care America.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children. www.naeyc.org.

Osterholm, M, et al. (1992). "Infectious diseases and child day care." Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 11:S31.

Pickering, L., Osterholm, M. (1997). "Infectious Diseases in Children and Adults Associated with Out-of-Home Child Care." In Long, S., Prober, C., Pickering, L. (editors): Principles and Practices of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

Hurwitz, E. S., Gunn, W. J., Pinsky, P. F., Schonberger, L. B. (1991). "Risk of respiratory illness associated with day-care attendance: a nationwide study." Pediatrics, 87(1): 62-9.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network. (2001). "Child Care and Common Communicable Illnesses." Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 155: 481-488.

Ball, T., Holberg, C., Aldous, M., Martinez, F., & Wright, A. (2002). "Influence of Attendance at Day Care on the Common Cold From Birth Through 13 Years of Age." Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 156: 121-126.
Cordell, R. L., MacDonald, J. K., Solomon, S. L., Jackson, L. A., Boase, J. (1997). "Illnesses and absence due to illness among children attending child care facilities in Seattle-King County, Washington." Pediatrics, 100(5): 850-5.

Cordell, R. L., Waterman, S. H., Chang, A., Saruwatari, M., Brown, M., Solomon, S. L. (1999). "Provider reported illness and absence due to illness among children attending
child-care homes and centers in San Diego, California." Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine,153(3): 275-80.

Ibid. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network. Child Care and Common Communicable Illnesses.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research
Network. (2003). "Child Care and Common Communicable Illnesses in Children Aged 37 to 54 Months." Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 157: 196-200.

Nafstad, P., Brunekreef, B., Skrondal, A., & Nystad, W. (2005). "Early Respiratory Infections, Asthma, and Allergy: 10-Year Follow-up of the Oslo Birth Cohort." Pediatrics, 116: e255-e262.

Niemela, M., Uhari, M., & Mottonen, M. (1995). "A pacifier increases the risk of recurrent acute otitis media in children in day care centers." Pediatrics, 96: 884-888.

Roberts, L., Smith, W., Jorn, L., Patel, M., Douglas, R., & McGilchrist, C. (2000). "Effect of Infection Control Measures on the Frequency of Upper Respiratory Infections in Child Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Pediatrics, 105: 738-742.

Roberts, L., Jorn, L., Patel, M., Smith, W., Douglas, R., McGilchrist, C. (2000). "Effect of Infection Control Measures on the Frequency of Diarrhea in Child Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Pediatrics, 105: 743-746.

American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care. (2002). Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs (2nd edition). Standard 3.065, pp. 124-128. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics and Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. ves, R., & Pickering, L. Impact of child day care on infectious diseases in adults.